Carrying On
by DarylDixon'sLover
Summary: When Daryl defends Charlene from his father's unwanted advances, they are pulled into a painful misunderstanding with the law and Will Dixon. Daryl/OC, Rick/Beth. AU at first but then moves into ZA. Co – Written with alycenwonder. Rated M for violence, language and sexual scenes.
1. Chapter 1 The Beginning

**AUTHORS NOTE: I am deeply excited to be back and to write again but understand the reluctance of the community to trust me. More details can be found on my profile but I hope they can accept my deepest apologies and that I can turn my writing and reputation around but becoming productive.**

This story is being co – written with alycenwonder, this story is dark in parts and my story The Road To Nowhere is on hold, due to NadWri being busy.

This story, Rebuilding The Heart and Ashes And Dust will be my priority but it will be dark in parts but no rape will occur.

This story will be a bit twisted but will have a happy ending.

Summary: When Daryl defends Charlene from his father's unwanted advances, they are pulled into a painful misunderstanding with the law and Will Dixon. Daryl/OC, Merle/Beth. AU at first but then moves into ZA. Co – Written with alycenwonder. Rated M for violence, language and sexual scenes.

Carrying on

Chapter 1

* * *

><p>Charlene Abrams was cleaning behind the bar as she was once again working the late night shift, she wanted to go to college to study medicine and due to her parents not having any interest in helping her, Charlene had taken matters into her own hands at a very young age. One more year in this dump would give her enough to start her life.<p>

At that minute the doors opened to reveal Daryl Dixon, her best friend since childhood as he joined her and she gave him a small smile.

"I'll have a bottle of Southern Comfort, Char." Daryl grunted and Charlene nodded as she went to get his drink and poured it into a glass before giving it to him. She wasn't really supposed to touch the liquor behind the bar as she was only 17 but she broke the rules for him whenever she could. Any little bit of comfort she could give him made her feel as if she had done her job as a friend.

Daryl's piercing blue eyes glanced at her as he drank his whisky, the bar was loud with couples dancing to old country music as Charlene and her uncle Otis tended to the bar with efficient ease. She would clean up after his ass and he would make a mess of things. It went like this every night, but it worked out.

"How was work today?" She asked softly as she started washing some glasses and Daryl looked quiet before sighing.

"The old man got his sorry ass fired today, so it looks like I ain't gonna be able to graduate Char." Daryl said gruffly.

Charlene's heart sank then. She knew what this meant, Daryl wouldn't be leaving with her for school. They would have to say goodbye.

The Dixon family had always been looked down ever since Will Dixon had started drinking and doing drugs, not to mention sleeping with everyone's wives, including her own mother which was why, Charlene wasn't much better off. Why her Mother would do such a thing wasn't a question she could ever answer.

She had met Daryl when she was five years old, her dad had gone to work at the local garage and her mother was passed out drunk, on the old battered sofa in their three bedroom house that had seen better days.

Charlene swallowed as she looked at Daryl who was avoiding her eyes, he looked ashamed and she wordlessly grasped his hand gently as he looked at her in surprise. They never touched, ever. Daryl didn't like it and she knew that. But she slipped.

"Can't Merle help out?" She asked referring to Daryl's older brother who was away in the army overseas, Merle.

Daryl shook his head sadly, knowing already what she was thinking and sighed tiredly.

"He already helps out, it's hard for him and he sends whatever he can." He said gruffly.

Charlie looked at Daryl sadly before giving his hand a tight squeeze and letting go, she then went back to washing the glasses as the bar doors were flung open and in came the last person, which Daryl and Charlie wanted to see. They always called it a good day if they avoided Daryl's father.

* * *

><p>Will Dixon, the man looked a mess with dark brown hair falling in his eyes that had glazed over from the excessive use of drugs, more than likely meth mixed with a concoction of many other things.<p>

"Here's my pussy of a son, Darylina!" Will yelled cruelly as his friends began to laugh at Daryl who simply glared at his father and drank his whisky silently trying hard to ignore the man who ruined his childhood.

"Ain't gonna greet yer' old man then, Daryl?!" Will growled dangerously as he made for us. "After all I done for you!"

Daryl ignored his old man as he called and taunted him cruelly but the thing that made him lose his temper was Will saying what he had done for him. More like put him through, his body was marred with permanent scars that littered his torso. All he had known since his mother died was the verbal and physical abuse he'd suffered through every single day his Dad had been around.

He put down his drink calmly as he glared at the man who called himself Daryl's father and leaned upright.

"Ya? And what yah done for me?" Daryl snarled enraged at his father as the bar went deadly silent. "Just leave me be."

Will laughed at him then and shoved him backwards, only for Daryl to punch him hard on the nose as everyone aside from Otis and Charlene watched anxiously.

Finally Daryl had succeeded in giving Will, a black left eye, a busted lip and bruises all over him as he stormed out of the bar silently, like the hunter he was.

Will sneered at him as Daryl pushed past him and out of the bar and after Otis gave her an encouraging look, Charlie grabbed her bag and followed Daryl outside where she found him having a cigarette, he inhaled and exhaled for a few minutes as he looked at his best friend.

"Sometimes I just feel like running away from here and never looking back, ya ever get that, Char?" Daryl asked seriously as she joined him on the steps.

"All the time, D." Charlie said softly as she leaned towards him as they watched the moon rise from the clouds. "But I have a plan, you know that. But I was thinkin... Even if you can't finish school... I want ya to come with me. We can get part time jobs and rent a place. Ya can't stay here with that man anymore and you know it."

"Nah. I can't ruin all your plans for school. I gotta carry myself. As soon as I can I will get outta that house, but for now... There ain't nothin' out there for me." He flicked his smoke into the wet pavement, stepping on it. "You go and become a doctor."

"I'm not leaving you here alone! You're my best friend... My only best friend Daryl. So no, I'm not leaving you behind just do I can pursue my dream." She snapped harshly at him as he stared back at her. Before she could say anymore he left her there and heading back into the bar. I guess that bottle still had his name on it.

She sighed as she continued on working behind the bar until closing time and helped her uncle shut the bar as Daryl helped out and they saw Will leave with a dark haired young woman, they both exchanged a knowing look as Charlene kissed Otis's cheek and he waved her off as she got into Daryl's truck and he drove her home, it was raining heavily as they drove.

* * *

><p>It had been a few days since Charlie had last spoken to Daryl. This normally meant something had happened with his father that he didn't want her to know about. She usually would allow him three days before giving up and checking in on him.<p>

She pulled her coat on deciding to drive over in her old, black Chevy Impala. It wasn't far and she made good time as she pulled into the car port. She saw it was raining again heavily now only making this all harder. Daryl's black pickup truck was in the driveway and sighed in relief as she stepped out, her well-worn black cowboy boots hitting the gravel as she walked towards the door and pulled her grey cardigan around her body tightly. Something was up and she wondered just how bad it would be this time around.

Charlie knocked on the door and looked through the windows trying to find out if he was just ignoring her. Her blood went cold as she saw Daryl lying on the floor, blood pooling around him. Oh god! "DARYL!" She cried out loudly, rapping on the window roughly. "Dammit!"

Charlie knocked on the door and looked through the windows trying to find out if he was just ignoring her. Her blood went cold as she saw Daryl lying on the floor, blood pooling around him. Oh god! "DARYL!" She cried out loudly, rapping on the window roughly. "Dammit!" She hissed as water poured down into her eyes, drenching her face. "Spare key!" She stammered as she fought to find which rock the bloody key was under.

She found it under a cracked flower pot and shakily opened the door, her nerves were on edge as she ran to where Daryl was. Reaching him in the living room she saw it, a large angry cut to the right side of his forehead as she checked for a pulse. To her relief, she found one although it was weak and pulled out her cell phone as she dialled 911 and called for an ambulance.

No signal, this was a fucking nightmare as she pulled Daryl onto her lap and talked to him softly. She didn't care if he gave her shit later for it, she was holding the idiot.

"Daryl please wake up, please!" Charlie begged as the front door opened and she went to get a damp flannel for his cut. "What the hell happened?" She muttered angrily, knowing the answer: Willard. How could it be anyone else? "I ain't leaving for school until your brother gets his ass back here... This wouldn't have happened if Merle was here."

She sat with Daryl and stroking his hair gently, unaware that she had left the front door ajar, completely worried about Daryl as she felt a pair of filthy hands grab her by the throat coming face to face with Will Dixon. She knew the rules, never come to Daryl's house alone. If he wasn't there she was meant to leave, but how could she turn away when he was laying in a pile on the floor? She couldn't!

"Well, well, if it ain't little Darylina's whore?" He sneered at her as Charlie tried to keep calm, she could smell Will's foul breath as it hit her cheek leaving them warm and not in a good way. How women found him attractive, was beyond her. The man looked at least fifteen years older than he was and was missing at least two of his front teeth. Yuck.

"Go to hell, you son of a bitch!" Charlie spat at him in disgust as she wriggled to free herself from the smelly angry man. "How could you do that? How could you do that to your SON?" She screeched, kicking her legs towards him.

Will saw red then and punched her hard across the face then, her face reeling backwards as he threw her into a sofa and started pawing at her jeans, acting like a rabid animal. Charlene kicked him in the crutch and ran to Daryl, her heart pounding.

He grabbed her by the ankle and smashed her head into the corner of the wooden table, causing her to collapse as she sagged weakly on the carpet, going unconscious.


	2. Chapter 2 Promises

Summary: When Daryl defends Charlene from his father's unwanted advances, they are pulled into a painful misunderstanding with the law and Will Dixon. Daryl/OC, Merle/Beth. AU at first but then moves into ZA. Co – Written with alycenwonder. Rated M for violence, language and sexual scenes and attempted rape.

**Special Thanks To These reviewers: **

**Alycenwonder**

**missy7293**

**Daryl Dixon's Wife xx**

**And to everyone that reviewed, thank you so much. ****Warning: Attempted sexual assault in the middle.**

Carrying On

Chapter 2

* * *

><p>It had been a few days since Charlie had last spoken to Daryl. This normally meant something had happened with his father that he didn't want her to know about. She usually would allow him three days before giving up and checking in on him.<p>

She pulled her coat on deciding to drive over in her old, black Chevy Impala. It wasn't far and she made good time as she pulled into the car port. She saw it was raining again heavily now only making this all harder. Daryl's black pickup truck was in the driveway and sighed in relief as she stepped out, her well-worn black cowboy boots hitting the gravel as she walked towards the door and pulled her grey cardigan around her body tightly. Something was up and she wondered just how bad it would be this time around.

Charlie knocked on the door and looked through the windows trying to find out if he was just ignoring her. Her blood went cold as she saw Daryl lying on the floor, blood pooling around him. Oh god! "DARYL!" She cried out loudly, rapping on the window roughly. "Dammit!" She hissed as water poured down into her eyes, drenching her face. "Spare key!" She stammered as she fought to find which rock the bloody key was under.

She found it under a cracked flower pot and shakily opened the door, her nerves were on edge as she ran to where Daryl was. Reaching him in the living room she saw it, a large angry cut to the right side of his forehead as she checked for a pulse. To her relief, she found one although it was weak and pulled out her cell phone as she dialled 911 and called for an ambulance.

No signal, this was a fucking nightmare as she pulled Daryl onto her lap and talked to him softly. She didn't care if he gave her shit later for it, she was holding the idiot.

"Daryl please wake up, please!" Charlie begged as the front door opened and she went to get a damp flannel for his cut. "What the hell happened?" She muttered angrily, knowing the answer: Willard. How could it be anyone else? "I ain't leaving for school until your brother gets his ass back here... This wouldn't have happened if Merle was here."

Will saw red then and punched her hard across the face, her face reeled backwards as he threw her into a sofa and started pawing at her jeans. Charlene kicked him in the crotch and ran to Daryl, her heart pounding. If she could just get him out of here, into the street... She was sure a neighbour would see and try to help them.

He grabbed her by the ankle smashing her head into the corner of the wooden table roughly, causing her to collapse as she sagged weakly on the carpet. It took seconds before she lost consciousness.

* * *

><p>Will eyed the blonde girl's body greedily, she had good firm tits and a good ass and long, slim legs like her mother, Bonnie. That woman had been hard to get in the sack but this one... This was the kind of girl a man dreamt about. She would take far too much effort.<p>

He slyly slid a hand under her sweater and cupped her bra and squeezed the nipple hard, causing her to whimper in pain even as she lay knocked out. He'd show her a good time, he doubted Daryl had even fucked her yet, the fucking pussy he was. "My boy probably ain't gonna get this far. Nope, I ruined him honey." He muttered as he moved his hand back out and began to loosen his belt.

He ripped her shirt and began to latch onto her firmly shaped breasts and grinned when he heard her shift slightly, he smirked as he made sure the camera was on and ready to film him and Charlene having sex. He continued to lap at her breasts, they tasted sweet and delicious as he cupped her sex through her tight denim jeans. He grinned evilly over at where his youngest son was lying unconscious or probably dead as the storm raged outside.

"C'mon sugar, there's a good girl." Will coaxed as he slyly pulled down her jeans, leaving her in nothing but a pair of grey lace panties, her golden curls visible from beneath them.

He grinned as he stared down at her. He knew she was no virgin, her father was just as big a pig as he was. But you had to get your kicks somewhere and this was where it was at. Nothing sweeter. He pressed a kiss to the apex of her thigh.

"I'm goin' to make ya dreams come true, princess." He said calling her the nickname he had been planning to use for a while now.

He slid down her panties and licked his lips, he couldn't wait to taste her sweet, wet pussy and pound into her like a wild animal, he would make her hurt and wish she had never met his son but maybe on the other hand, she could be his new porn star. At least as far as he was concerned, a little video that he himself could remember her by.

Harper town had been hit badly by the recession and the once prosperous little town was now home to drunks, drug addicts and prostitutes. People who enjoyed running porn studios to make money for a living and Will and Trent were those men. But he wondered if this one was worth keeping to himself?

He slid a single finger into her wet heat and found she was extremely wet as he took her right breast into his hot, wet mouth and bit down on it hard, causing it to bleed slightly as he pumped two fingers inside her and heard her moan in pain, his cock got harder as he suckled her hard pert, nipples. He had just found her throbbing hard, wet nub and licked his lips at the thought of her dripping, wet pussy. He'd fuck her senseless.

"You little whore, yer wet for old Will? Ya always were my favourite when I watched ya play with yer daddy." He taunted cruelly, unaware that Daryl had awakened and had seen what he was doing to his best friend.

* * *

><p>Daryl felt pain all over his body as he slowly crawled up off the hard floor as heard someone grunt, he looked around for Willard and found the man who he hated leaning over a body with black cowboy boots on and clad in nothing but a familiar sweater.<p>

No... "YOU BASTARD!" He yelled as red took over. The old man grunted as something heavy came down on his head.

"You ungrateful little fuck!" Willard yelled back as he stumbled to his feet. But Daryl didn't reply as he flew forward, hair in his eyes, swinging his fists in his Dad's direction. One by one he landed good hard blows to the man's face and balls.

Will finally gained composure and punched him back, they were both fighting as the storm raged outside and they could hear hurricane sirens blaring off in the distance as Charlie stirred awake, amidst the fighting.

"Ya shoulda tasted her tits, they were fuckin' hard and dark for me, she loved having my hands on her tits and I felt her tight wet, pussy and ya know what else?" Will taunted cruelly as he looked into the fiery blue eyes of Daryl.

Daryl ignored him, he wasn't going to listen to his father's nasty words. Charlie needed him, Will had admitted he hadn't raped her but had put his hands where they didn't belong...

"She ain't no virgin either, looks like someone popped her cherry before ya boy. Ya weak, weaker than me and weaker than Merle!" Will snarled as he charged at Daryl with his hunting knife.

Daryl narrowly avoided being stabbed by his father as he looked to see Charlie was awake and looking distressed, her body shaking with the trauma as she pulled her pants back on.

"Daryl!" She sobbed terrified as Daryl grabbed Will and got ready to kill him. But Will shoved him away as he pulled Charlie against him and squeezed her breasts harshly, causing her to scream in pain, but the neighbours wouldn't care, no one in this god forsaken town did aside from Otis. Most of them were barricaded inside for the storm and couldn't hear shit.

"Ya gonna drop the knife boy or I'm gonna fuckin' give yer girl the roughest, hard fuck in her life and ya gonna watch!" Will threatened as Charlie mouthed for him to stay back.

"Let her go old man!" Daryl yelled back as he gripped his own knife in his shaking hand. He never left home without it, not since he had become lost in the woods and needed it to find his dinner.

"Or what? You ain't gonna kill me. You don't got the guts!" Willard hollered as he threw Charlie to the floor harshly. "Come on then! Fight me!"

Daryl let a feral snarl as he ran at Will and shoved him onto the floor as he punched hard wherever his fist could land. He heard Will's nose break but didn't care, all he could think about was Charlie's terrified, tearful face, the agony that Will had put her through, as he punched him harder. Will head butted him right before slashing him on the chest with his knife.

Daryl growled in pain as he glared at his old man in hate. The old man grinned, laughing wildly as the blood began to fall once again from his wounded son.

"When I'm done killin' ya, I'm gonna tie up yer girl, gag her, touch her and make her hurt like a bitch in heat!" Will yelled at him cruelly. That was the moment Daryl snapped.

He ran at him stabbing the man in the shoulder, blood smearing on his hands as Will looked up in shock. The blade slid clean through, hitting the floor beneath him. Not once did he wonder if he would die, maybe he would. It didn't matter much to Daryl. He had to save Charlie. She was all that mattered.

"Daryl! Daryl we have to stop this, the police are commin." Her voice was soft behind him as she peered out into the street, "If ya kill him you won't forgive ya 'self." The sirens got louder as the cops grew nearer, but Daryl remained where he was, over his father's limp body. Was he dead?

Charlie checked for a pulse and found one, she nodded at Daryl as they both sat down together in shock at what had happened. This wasn't going to be an easy night to remember.

"They're gonna take me to prison but I'll find ya, I promise Charlie, no matter what, I will find ya..." Daryl promised and Charlene had to fight back tears as she nodded.

"You promise?" She asked looking at him intently and he nodded in confirmation as two police officers came in, looking weary.

Shit was hard, hell so was life. But for people in our parts it was just the way things went. But as they sat together waiting for the coppers they knew; this was it. Nothing was going to be worse than this.

"Daryl Dixon, you're under arrest for attempted murder of Willard Dixon." Officer Harold said calmly as he handcuffed Daryl. It was all a bit of a blur but she knew he was being carted away for a good long time. The man she loved. She never told him that. She never felt like it had been the right moment to tell him. It wasn't like it would work out any way, they couldn't touch. He was always too shy to talk about that stuff... They would always just be close but never together.

Thankfully there wasn't a crowd and she saw Daryl give her a rare, genuine half smile of comfort as she watched them take her best friend away from her. She broke down and sobbed on the porch steps after the car drove away. It didn't matter who saw at this point, nothing did. Everything had gone wrong, Daryl was being taken to prison and she had nearly been raped by none other than Willard Dixon.

She wiped her eyes and made a promise then, she would wait for him. She would wait for Daryl no matter how long, no matter how old. She would wait for him and he would too, whatever that meant. They may never be together in the way she wanted but she would have him anways, always. She would go to school and fulfil her dream and she would be back to get him when the time came.

* * *

><p>Do you ever watch the news and think, "Gee that is scary? Good thing it isn't happening here?" That is how most people in Atlanta felt when the first few channels began showing people eating other people. You just don't really feel it until it knocks at your door.<p>

Charlie was one of those people, watching. But her new residency job made it hard to ignore. Working in St Mary's Hospital in Atlanta was different then she had expected it to be, it wasn't all that close to where Daryl was being held in prison. He had gotten a lighter sentence after the prison psychiatrist diagnosed Daryl with PTSD, caused by years of abuse by Willard Dixon, in return Daryl had gotten seven years in prison but would be released in five, if he was on his best behaviour.

Charlie, Otis and Merle had been called to testify and had answered their questions truthfully. She wrote to Daryl regularly instead of flying out to see him only to be turned away again. He had decided to ignore her hoping that by doing so she would choose a better life for herself. He would always blame himself for what happened to her that night.

But Charlie had graduated from school and went onto Harvard University to study medicine and worked in the children's unit, she always got on better with kids and animals than people her own age. She felt if she couldn't get through to the man she cared for then she would delve into her job and care only about that.

Now there was something turning people into the walking dead, eating them alive. The thought made Charlie sick as she discharged her patients as the hospital officials had said that Rey were sending everyone, who weren't terminally ill. Home with relatives as she said goodbye to her work mates and went to her locker to change out of her white lab coat and scrubs.

She untied her dirty blonde hair from the messy bun, it had been up all day and began to become sore. She scratched her neck as she opened her locker and saw a photo of her and Daryl and pulled it out with a smile.

She didn't blame him, how could she? How would she have felt in his place? She only hoped that he was safe, wherever he was now. She had heard down the grape vine that he had made it home on good behaviour and was shacked up with his brother in their old family home.

She had even been contemplating taking off from this stupid service she was placed on and just heading home. If she was right and she knew she was, then all that was going on around her was only going to get worse. Why not check out now? Why not go and see if Daryl really had shunned her for good?

She walked out of the hospital and to the car park where her black Impala was and unlocked it as she got into the car and began driving to her house as she looked at the time.

7:40, was that the time? She shook her head as she reached her house and parked the car as she got out and locked it before walking to the house and unlocked the door. Maybe she should just send a text to her boss and tell the guy that she was done. There was no point in all this shit anymore. She needed to go home.

Charlie texted her boss late that night. She knew he would get the message as he worked the late shift almost every second night. He wasn't surprised that she was going nor was he angry. He wished her luck and that was it. That was the last thing holding her to this place.

She packed light, a few shirts and some jeans. She even packed all the food she had in my cupboards, which wasn't much. Charlie really hadn't been home enough lately to really have anything in there.

She decided then went to have a shower and turned on the hot water, as she stood under the soothing hot water feeling it sooth her aching sore bones she thought of Daryl and hoped he was safe.

As for Will, she tried her best not to think of him if she could help it. But it didn't mean she could avoid it in every situation. Some night she would wake from nightmares of he and her father had done. There would be no escape from it, not completely. Charlie shuddered as she remembered his voice.

_"I'll be in yer nightmares, little princess."_

* * *

><p>After her shower, Charlie got dressed in a pair of black skinny jeans, a grey tank top with a black cardigan. She had just finished putting on her well-worn black cowboy boots as she grabbed her bags and car keys before going outside the house. She wondered if she would ever be back here again. Maybe locking the door would be pointless. Instead she decided to leave it. Maybe one day some poor soul would need shelter.<p>

She then walked towards her car and got in as she put the key in the ignition and began driving away from the only home she had known in over four years. But she wouldn't miss it like she thought. The only thing she every truly missed was Daryl.

Charlie began the long drive home, hoping that she would be able to make it there safely. The news had been telling people just how bad this part of the country had gotten and to stay indoors. But working in a hospital couldn't be much safer, could it?


	3. Chapter 3 The World Has Gone To Hell

Summary: When Daryl defends Charlene from his father's unwanted advances, they are pulled into a painful misunderstanding with the law and Will Dixon. Daryl/OC, Rick/Beth. AU at first but then moves into ZA. Co – Written with alycenwonder. Rated M for violence, language and sexual scenes. Lori, Shane, and Carol bashing. Anti-Maggie later on.

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed, your reviews make mine and alycenwonder very happy to know you're all enjoying the story.**

**Guest.**

**WalkingPotterGirl14.**

**missy7293.**

**HermioneandMarcus**

**Daryl Dixon's Wife XX.**

**Daryl's lover.**

**Daryl's Wife**

Carrying On

Chapter 3

* * *

><p>Charlie had driven a few miles finally deciding now was a good time to rest when she saw that there was a huge traffic jam on the highway and sighed. Pulling up she got out and looked at what was happening. It became clear pretty fast. It looked like they were all trying to get into Atlanta, she sighed and pulled out a bottle of water as she drank it. Army tanks driving past them as more cars got stuck on the large highway. But even the width of the pavement didn't seem to matter anymore as it became clear she wouldn't be getting through.<p>

"What the fuck is taking so long?!" A man yelled angrily, slamming his hand down hard on the metal of his truck.

Charlie looked around and that's when she heard the screams of horror. She looked towards the direction of the woman and saw a group of... Dead people...

They all had gruesome injuries. One of the men had a part of his throat missing, while another one was missing her tongue as she gurgled and limped along the highway towards the grouping of cars.

"It ain't safe here anymore." The angry man called out to her as he waved his arm in her direction. "Follow us!"

Charlene nodded before he brain could process and drove after him. So fast she happened to miss the one thing she had been heading home for. Behind her a brown truck sputtered along, following them to where ever the man was leading them. Daryl and Merle in tow.

They were soon driving up to the mountains and what looked like a quarry as they pulled up near a large lake and everyone got out of the cars as they tried to take in the fact that this was it for them. There was no safer place to run to.

Charlie felt only sick as she leaned out the window of her car. This was it.

"Maybe it would be best if we all introduced ourselves?" An older man asked as her head swung up. "I am Dale."

Charlie pulled her shit together and climbed out of the car. "I am Shane and this is Lori and her son Carl." The angry man from the highway told everyone.

Everyone went around introducing themselves until I finally got put on the spot. "Who are you then little one?" Dale asked me, a small smile spread across his face. He seemed kind.

"Oh... Uh... I'm Charlie."

"Oh uh, uh!" The gravelly voice travelled across the empty clearing as Merle came towards our group. "What the hell you doin out here girl!"

"Merle?" She sputtered, blinking rapidly. It was Merle!

"Long time since I saw ya, little lady." Merle said gruffly as he pulled her in for a hug. She hugged him tightly in return. There were no words to describe how good it felt to find her brother from another mother.

Merle worried about what Daryl would do once he saw here standing here. He knew Daryl thought she was safe in the hospital. He figured they would make sure the medical staff were taken care of. It only made sense right? These days they were very important people.

Merle knew what Daryl had done, shutting Charlie out all those years ago. He did it for her, at least that is what he told Merle. But he knew that his brother loved her even if he denied it, which he did. But Merle and Daryl never talked about her or about their feelings that shit was for pussies. Merle wanted Daryl to keep it to himself.

"I don't care, I'm not letting him decide where I should and shouldn't be. He gave up that right and you know it." Charlie told him firmly, her dark blue eyes flashing as she looked around the area for the redneck she had grown up with.

Merle sighed as he watched her searching for Daryl. This wasn't going to end up well. But at least it wasn't his problem.

* * *

><p>Daryl Dixon stood in the woods silently as he looked for something that the group could eat for supper tonight, the world had quite literally gone to shit now as it was being consumed by the dead.<p>

He tried hard to avoid joining in on the little "getting to know one another party" instead he had headed out into the woods.

He caught sight of a small squirrel, following it through the brush calmly as he tried to calm down. Ever since getting out of prison all he could do was hunt. He missed the forest while he was locked up and he missed her, Charlie. But he ruined that.

He wasn't even sure he was the same man these days. He had hate for everything around him. Merle was the only thing that distracted him from it.

Daryl growled low in his throat as he thought of his old man, everyone worrying over Willard fucking Dixon while they all said shit about him behind his back. No, he would never go through that again. He only hoped she was safe, wherever she was.

He picked up the dead squirrel as he began heading back to the group. He knew his brother wanted to rob them and he wasn't sure what that would mean for them. But for now he would at least make sure that small boy was fed. It's what Charlie would want.

* * *

><p>"I can't believe you made it girl. I always knew you would be the only one from our shitty nowhere town that would make it." Merle laughed loudly over the fire they had built themselves. They spent an hour after Charlie had finally given up her search for his brother, putting together their tent area.<p>

"I didn't really make it Merle." Charlie sighed, "I just did the only thing I could do to forget about what happened that night."

Merle nodded in understanding, they were a few feet away from the others so they could have privacy and Charlie didn't miss the sneers of contempt that Lori sent her along with Andrea. Merle wasn't easy, but they seemed to hate him instantly. Stuck up bitches.

"Ah little brother, look what I found!" Merle said gruffly as Charlie's head shot up. "All grown up!"

"Charlie?" He asked her surprised.

"Hey." She muttered back, trying hard not to cry. She would let him apologize first, if he did at all. She wasn't one to be walked on.

"What are ya doin here? Shouldn't ya be in your new home?" He asked sarcastically. He seemed colder than the last time they had seen each other... "Merle, got dinner." He said, changing the subject. He threw the dead thing past her face, to his brother.

Merle sensed the tension but stayed to be a pain as Daryl sat down on a log and looked away, biting his thumb. Charlie looked the same.

"Home isn't just where you live Daryl. But I am sure you know that?" Charlie said softly as Daryl looked at her in surprise, Charlie had wanted to visit him in prison, to see if he was okay, he swallowed. Her hair had grown wild and her eyes brighter than the last time he had seen her. She grew into her breasts and ass... This pissed him off. If he had to be around her why couldn't she have grown ugly?

"What's the plan?" He asked gruffly, trying to keep his emotions under control.

"We stay here seein' as Atlanta has been bombed to shit. Better to be in a group than on our own at this point." Merle informed them both with a smirk as he lit up a cigarette and inhaled it with a look of content. "And if we happen to find some good drugs along the way, so be it!"

"Ya think these people can protect themselves?" He asked his brother.

"We'll keep an eye on them." Charlie said back, not waiting for Merle to speak up.

* * *

><p>The days began to mush together as Daryl and Charlie avoided their issues. They talked when we had to and that seemed like that was it. Merle on the other hand looked out for her. They hung out all the time. This of course meant she was around Daryl all the time.<p>

"We need a group to head out and get supplies." Shane said, knocking Charlie out of her own thoughts. "Any volunteers?"

"I'll go." Merle offered gruffly. Shane nodded as Glenn volunteered and so did, Jacqui, Morales and much to Merle and Charlie's displeasure so did Andrea or sugar tits as Merle called her. Charlie thought that it was hilarious. The looks he would get made her smile. He wasn't really all bad, he just wanted you to think he was.

Neither of them liked her, she was always annoying them or eying Daryl up and down in a seductive way that pissed Charlie off. She had to keep reminding herself that Daryl didn't belong to her anymore. It was hard.

She knew Merle would never force anyone into anything they didn't want. He wasn't that guy.

"I'm commin to." She told Shane. Daryl had turned them down and she figured who was the next best? He had taught her how to track and hunt when they were younger, she could help. "You need me."

"The more the better." Shane told her as he stared blatantly at her breasts. She ignored his look as she went to find her hunting knife that belonged to her maternal grandfather, James Labonoir who had lived in New Orleans all his life. Charlie remembered the times he would take her fishing when she was younger. He was one of the only good memories of her family that she had.

Her machete was sharp and had its own little place against her back. Merle had found it for her and they had been practicing with it the past few days. She figured she was catching on fast.

They all then walked to where the truck was. They had a half assed plan to head towards the city. The one place Charlie had been running away from. Once there they could find supplies. Daryl would stay behind and hunt.

"I'm going, catch something big." She told Daryl softly as he turned to face her grunting in return. Of course he would catch something big. He could if he wanted to.

"Ya be careful. Stay with Merle." He returned grumpily. "I ain't gonna come running after ya." Daryl watched them drive off and he headed into the woods.

Daryl tracked something big enough that he could feed the whole group. It didn't help his cause that all he could do was think about how shitty he was being to Charlie. But he couldn't help it. His family was poison. How could she even bare to look at him without thinking of Will.

Daryl took a deep breath then, he would never forgive himself for what had happened to her.

Sometimes he would dream about Charlie and what had happened. In them he was unable to fix what his father had done.

* * *

><p>By the time the group got to the city the sun was high in the sky. It was so muggy Charlie could feel her hair sticking to her face. They followed Glenn through the overrun city, alley by alley as they looked for a good place to loot.<p>

She tied her hair up in a bun as they went inside. They made sure there was nothing around as the locked all the doors on the bottom floor. They even stacked chairs around the entrance just in case the dead piled up and broke through. It wouldn't stop them, but it would hopefully slow them down a bit.

"Stick together." Glenn told them as he motioned towards the clothing section. "Grab what you need and we'll head upstairs."

Merle and Charlie began rummaging through the clothing isles, grabbing what they needed. She stuck to her own needs and he grabbed whatever he and Daryl needed.

When they were finally done they all filed up the stairwell one by one, weapons drawn, leaving the clothing department far behind them.

The stairs seemed never ending to the group as they took each one as it came, "We should head to the roof, and get some idea of what is out there." Glenn told them as he led them further up the stairwell.

The door had to be pried open but they managed as it swung open with a loud screech. "We are pretty high up." Andrea said, stating the obvious. Charlie wasn't so sure she liked this woman much.

They were high up as they overlooked the buildings of Atlanta, Charlie could see walkers ambling about aimlessly as they looked for an unfortunate soul to feast on and rip to pieces.

"There's nothing here, Glenn." Andrea said annoyed as she glared at the young man who flushed slightly, under her hot gaze. Charlie couldn't help it.

"We came up here to see which way the heard was moving Andrea. Clearly it is worse than we thought." The dead weren't moving together like they usually would. They scattered the streets in all directions. "How are we going to get out of here?" She asked Glenn.

"I think that is more pressing at the moment." He said back, pointing out into the street.

Charlie followed his gaze and froze, there was a man in a sheriff's uniform running away from the group of walkers. He must be mental! The group watched in fascination as the man climbed underneath a large tank.

"Holy shit." Charlie replied shocked.

"HE'S GONNA GET US ALL KILLED BY USING THOSE BULLETS!" Andrea screamed hysterically. Charlie lost patience, she slapped the older blonde hard across the face and caused her to fall hard on her ass. It was clear she hadn't stopped to think about what she was doing as her hand swung hard towards Andrea.

"Grow the fuck up, Blondie." She snapped as she turned to face the road again.

"Heh, I taught her well." Merle hummed as he ignored the cop on the road.

"Now hang on a minute here honey. We can't be hitting each other." Jacqui threw in.

"Damn right! What the fuck was that!" Andrea groaned as she straightened out.

"We don't have time for this shit." Glenn told the group as he reached for his walkie. "Hello. Hello can you hear me down there?"

"Yeah, I can hear you." The man said through the walkie talkie as they all exchanged a look. Glenn started to instruct the man, who had introduced himself as Rick, on what to do and how they could help.

Alarm bells ran off in her head, this was Lori's husband, the one that she had said had died in the hospital she worked at. He was alive?

* * *

><p>"We're not going to seriously risk our lives to save this asshole?" Andrea asked in disbelief as Glenn ignored her and hurried down the stairs as an enraged Andrea watched on.<p>

"We should. That is Lori's husband." Charlie told her. "You two seem close, you think she'd forgive you if we left him here?" She asked the blonde woman.

"I don't understand... That's her husband? He is supposed to be dead..." Blondie sputtered, shocked.

"Well he isn't!" Charlie replied, annoyed.

"Clearly officer asshole was lyin' about skinny woman's husband being dead while he was fuckin' her." Merle said dryly as he lit up a cigarette and exhaled the smoke. They heard a loud crash downstairs as Charlie went to see what was going on. Shining a flashlight around the front she froze in horror.

A hoard of walkers slammed up against the windows, their once human faces now decayed, rotting and mangled as they scratched and snarled at her through the glass.

"Fucking brilliant." Charlie muttered annoyed, as she ran upstairs to tell the others what was going on. That many were sure to break through into the store before they could get that man out of the tank and to safety.

"We have a problem." Charlie barked as she threw her flashlight to Merle. "We gotta go, now."

Merle nodded as they all stared to grab the supplies they had managed to grab when they were downstairs. It wasn't much but risking their lives to go down for more after the dead broke in wasn't an option. Instead they waited in the clothing department for the glass to break. Only then would they make their next move.

They soon saw Glenn and the Rick hurry into the building. Andrea shoved the man up against a mannequin doll with her gun aimed at him and ready to fire.

"YOU STUPID SON OF A BITCH!" Andrea screamed enraged as she pressed her gun to his forehead. "You put us all at risk when you fired that gun."

"Back the hell off Blondie." Charlie said, raising her gun on the woman. She wanted nothing more than to get rid of the woman she was sure would bring the dead down on all of them. "I said back off."

"Well... Pull the trigger then." Morale's added, pushing to see if Andrea would do it. "Otherwise we are doin this for nothing. He gets it!" The man was breathing heavily as he said what everyone else had been thinking. Rick had only done what he had to in order to survive.

Andrea backed off, flicking off the safety on her small pistol, "We're dead. All of are dead because of you."

"What do you mean, I don't understand?" Rick asked confused. It was obvious that the walkers were going to get in any second.

"That is what you did! You just rang the goddamn dinner bell Mr. Trigger happy." Andrea snapped, causing Merle, Glenn and Charlie to roll their eyes at her childish behaviour.

"I didn't know this would happen." Rick said calmly.

"Look, we came into the city to scavenge for supplies. But it isn't safe here. Those things out there heard you shooting your gun and now they are due to break through that glass any second. Next time you need to use a weapon that doesn't make so much damn noise." Charlie told him as the group headed back towards the stairwell.

"Every geek from miles around heard you poppin off rounds." Morale's agreed. "They key to surviving out here is tiptoeing around."

Charlie listened, wondering why the hell this guy hadn't figured all this out yet?

"Glenn can you get us out of here?" Morales asked hopefully. There was no other option, we had to get the heck outta Dodge. Andrea paced back and forth as Charlie tried her best to ignore the woman. It seemed every small thing Andrea did was annoying.

A loud gunshot rang out bringing Charlie out of her daze, "WHAT THE HELL DIXON!" T-Dog yelled loudly. Merle was standing high up on the ledge shooting walkers one by one.

"Merle!" Charlie cried out, trying to stop her friend from bringing more down on them.

Merle laughed loudly, shifting his weapon towards the group, "Hey! Hey you all outta be more polite to a man with a gun!"

"He your older brother?" Rick asked her, raising his brow.

"Sort of, long story. We ain't blood" She explained softly. Merle wasn't always easy, she knew that. But these people were learning the hard way. "Merle come on now! We can't be fucking around like this." Charlie called to the man who seemed drunk with power.

"Man you wasting the bullets we need! And you bringing them down on us!" T-dog yelled to Merle.

Merle jumped down off the ledge and walked towards T-Dog. Charlie could feel it even before it went down as Merle tackled the man to the floor. Holding his gun to T-Dog's head he began shouting. "It's bad enough I got this taco eater breathing down my neck but now I gotta take orders from you? I don't think so BRO." He yelled.

"Merle stop it!" Charlie yelled dragging him away from T-Dog. Charlie glared at Merle as Rick pulled him out of her arms and handcuffed him to a pipe.

"WHO THE HELL DO YA THINK YA ARE?!" Merle yelled furiously at Rick as the man handcuffed him. "Charlie what the fuck girl? Get me outta this thing!"

"Officer Friendly." Rick stated, stepping back.

"Is this really necessary?" Charlie asked him, "He will stop, won't you?" She asked Merle.

"Is there a map? We need to see if there are any exits." Rick asked Glenn who nodded as they went down the stairs. T-Dog stayed with Charlie in silence. She never did get an answer from Officer Friendly.

They soon reached the back room of the department store and Glenn pulled out the blue prints of the building.

"There's a sewer."


	4. Reconnecting With An Old Friend

Summary: When Daryl defends Charlene from his father's unwanted advances, they are pulled into a painful misunderstanding with the law and Will Dixon. Daryl/OC, Rick/Beth. AU at first but then moves into ZA. Co – Written with alycenwonder. Rated M for violence, language and sexual scenes.

Carrying On

Chapter 4

* * *

><p>Charlie sat beside Merle as they all tried to figure what to do. Rick had asked her to come with them, so reluctantly, she left Merle with T-Dog and hoped to god he behaved.<p>

She found the others in the office and looked at them with an emotionless face as she stood beside Glenn with her arms folded. She wasn't happy with all this but she knew she was outnumbered.

"You called for me, Officer?" She asked sarcastically.

Rick winced at her words but shrugged it off quickly. He knew what he had done was for the best. Merle was only causing issues.

"Glenn found a way out. We need to be fast because those doors won't last long." All their heads turned to watch as the glass doors swayed back and forth on their hinges. "Someone head upstairs and tell T-Dog it's time to go." He ordered.

"I'll do it." Charlie said hurrying up the stairs as she heard the sound of glass breaking. She opened the door to find T-Dog looking very worried.

"We gotta go. Undo Merle's hand cuffs." Charlie told him. T-Dog shook his head slightly. "What? Hurry up!"

"I can't. I lost the keys in that drain!" He said panicked. Charlie glared at the man, horrified.

"YA SON OF A FUCKIN' BITCH! CHARLIE YA GOTTA GET ME OUTTA THIS THING!" Merle yelled at Charlie. But there was nothing she could do. If they didn't get gone right now they would all die.

"Merle... I can't. If I don't go..." She whispered, still in shock.

"You gotta be kiddin girl?" He pleaded. But it was true... Nothing would change it. "Go then. GET GONE!" He yelled at her angrily. She felt a tear trace her cheek as she stood there unsure of what to do. "I SAID GO!"

Charlie and T-Dog raced out the door, slamming it shut. Shakily the man who lost the keys, chained the doors so that Merle could at least have some sort of shot at living, whatever that meant. Then they ran.

Charlie could feel her chest heaving in agony as they ran to the back of the van got into the back. Leaving Merle behind was the worst thing that had happened to her in a long, long time. She wasn't sure whether or not to hate these people or sympathize. He was out of control. He could have gotten someone killed, but at the same time she cared for him, he was family.

He had no food or water, they had basically left him for dead. Charlie leaned against the inside of the van as it began to move on the gravel beneath them.

"No one's gonna Miss Merle... Well except his brother Daryl and Charlie." Morales told Rick quietly as he looked to Charlie. She suddenly saw red at his callous comment. So much so that she lost it, right there and now.

"WHAT THE FUCKIN' HELL DID YA JUST SAY ABOUT MY FRIEND?!" Charlie snarled enraged and everyone knew Morales was in deep shit. "CAN I JUST LEAVE ANDREA BEHIND AND SAY THAT SHIT? IS THAT HOW THIS IS?" She annoyed everyone so why not her?

Charlie turned to T-Dog who had the decency to look ashamed as he avoided her blazing dark blue eyes. "You have no idea how badly I would love to smack the shit outta both of y'all." She muttered in their direction.

Jacqui spoke up in agreement "Y'all deserved it to... It ain't right, leavin that man behind. Charlie has every right to be upset." She told them harshly before going to comfort the young woman.

"S'fine... I'll let Daryl deal with em once we get back."

Jacqui nodded simply squeezing Charlie's hand gently as they sat in a comfortable silence. They both looked at each other a moment before speaking in low voices so they wouldn't be over heard.

"Do you think Lori will be happy seeing Rick?" Jacqui asked as they drove down the bumpy road back to camp.

"I am not so sure, she has barely mentioned her husband. Been too busy wandering off with Shane..." Charlie said remembering the numerous affairs that her mother had with various other men. She wasn't privy to all the things going on at camp but she had come across the two in the woods recently. "Maybe she will ditch Shane." Who could say but Lori?

"Well I think we are in for some drama." The woman agreed. The rest of the drive was silent, everyone pondering what had happened back on the roof of the department store.

* * *

><p>Merle was trapped on the roof of the department store as he heard banging on the door, "Motherfucker!" He sputtered as he pulled on the cuffs. He knew it was walkers from their hungry snarls and growls not to mention the loud crashing of the door as they tried to break through. He began looking around the area for anything he could use to get out of his cuffs... A hacksaw? There was a hacksaw!<p>

He didn't blame Charlie, he knew the girl had tried to help him but the fucking cop and black guy had stopped her. He would fucking kill those fuckers when he got the motherfucking chance.

He started sawing off his right hand, it was fucking agony but Merle tried to keep his mouth shut as he sawed through the bone and saw his hand fall off, blood spraying everywhere. There was no way it could get any worse than this!

He wrenched his now bleeding stump out of the hand cuffs and staggered towards the exit door. Gripping the hacksaw in his left hand as he started fighting his way through the department store. He was on an adrenaline rush without the meth that seemed to help him.

Merle had managed to fight his way through the hoard of walkers that had swarmed into the building as he found the sniper rifle and slung it over his shoulder. Looking around for a bandage he found the next best thing, a large flat cook top and with a grimace, cauterized the wound. Risking infection wasn't an option. It motherfucking hurt and this time he didn't hold back on the yelling. It wasn't like he was all that hidden at this point.

"Motherfucker! Shit!" He snarled as he with stood the pain, grimacing as he smelled the disgusting scent of seared flesh.

He almost passed out from the shock and nausea but held steady as he continued on walking until he found an office with a few blankets and passed out from the shock of the long tedious day.

* * *

><p>When Charlie and the others arrived at the camp, Charlie went to her tent so she could grab her hygiene products, she needed a bath and doing it in the quarry was the only option available to her.<p>

She shoved her stuff into a small bag and started walking down to the path when she caught sight of Rick reuniting with Carl and Lori, she didn't wish any harm on Carl, and he was a good kid. It made her happy they could be together again.

Unfortunately she couldn't say the same about Shane and Lori, those two were not her idea of fun...

Shane was an arrogant asshole. He acted like he was king of the group most days. Lori followed suit as the queen. Daryl and Merle were trash to them because they spoke differently and looked different from the rest. Whatever, Charlie was used to people like the stick bitch. It didn't much matter what they thought of Merle and Daryl the facts were clear; they fed everyone. Without them the group would starve.

She walked down the path reaching the lake. It was late afternoon so it wasn't as humid like it had been back in the city. She slipped her pants down her legs, allowing them to puddle in the dirt, her shirt following. She left her undergarments on in case Ed, Carol's husband, decided he would watch the show.

The water was nice as she waded in deep, rinsing blood and brain matter from her rough tired skin. She grimaced as the water turned red from the filth on her body. She pulled off her bra and washed her chest with the bar of lavender soap she had found on a run washing herself intently.

Charlie grimaced as she washed her hair clean of the grease and dirt. She then lathered up some shampoo, running it through her tangles. The day had been stressful and the idea of standing in the water enjoying herself made her feel badly. She couldn't help but wonder if he had gotten away. Daryl had always said, "Ain't no body kills a Dixon but a Dixon." She only hoped that was true.

She then rinsed her hair and started washing it with the conditioner, she ran a comb through her tangled locks as she hummed a lullaby that her grandmother would sing to her when she was little.

After thoroughly combing her hair free of knots, she dunked her head under the water and made sure there wasn't any lingering conditioner in her hair. She started to get out of the water slowly, wrapping a fluffy black towel around herself as she saw Daryl staring at her from the tree line.

How long had he been standing there she wondered as she tightened the towel around herself. She couldn't help squeeze her thighs together at the idea of it. "Daryl?" She called out, hoping he would explain. But instead of leaving the woods he disappeared back into them.

It became painfully obvious to Charlie that she had never gotten over her feelings for Daryl. Hiding them inside for years had only seemed to make it that much worse. She knew him and she knew how he was before prison, but now... Could she ever really be with him? He barely said three words at a time to her...

"Alright Daryl Dixon." She muttered to herself, "Game on."

* * *

><p>Daryl was cursing to himself as he walked along the forest floor. He had been tracking a deer when he had heard Charlie singing at the quarry and had gone to check on her. He hadn't expected to find her half fucking naked...<p>

He felt hard as a rock as he remembered tried to forget her full breasts and her soft, wavy blonde hair that cascaded down her back. He growled as he tried to shove the emotions away but he couldn't, after all these years... He loved her and hoped to god that she forgave him for what Will had done to her five years ago, it was his fault... It was the reason he avoided her. She had to think of his father every time she saw his ugly mug. Staying away was best for her. He only hoped his father, wherever he was, was dead. Preferably the walking type.

He felt for the necklace that Charlie had made for him on his eighteenth birthday and looked at the handcrafted black wolf. It was all he would get to keep of her... It had been the only thing of value in his belongings when they collected his things in prison.

He was allowed to keep a photo of Charlie but he hid it from his cell mates, the last thing he wanted was one of the assholes jerking off to her photo as he served his time.

He hated it, having to leave her behind was the hardest thing ever. He sacrificed himself so that she could be safe and he would do it again in an instant.

He had been grumpy after getting out, he knew that. It wasn't all reserved for Charlie. He had been angry at himself and Willard. He lost so much time because of that idiot. He had reverted more into himself because of it. The idea of being touched by anyone before prison had made him sick but after? It was worse. He just wanted to be left the hell alone. Charlie had been the only one who seemed immune to it.

He didn't mean to push her away but he couldn't get as close to her as he had once been. He pushed it from his mind and continued to hunt. Sighing he continued to follow the deer further into the woods.

They needed to be careful about how they ate the food they had, Olive Oyl was always giving out large portions of the food to her, her son and Deputy Asshole Shane.

They needed to ration it but Daryl decided to ensure that Charlie got enough along with Merle. He looked around as he decided to make camp for the night and settled down against a rocky boulder as he laid down and saw the moon coming out from the under the clouds. He could swear he even heard a wolf howl in the distance.

* * *

><p>Charlie had eaten the tinned chicken and tinned tomatoes in silence, she was tired and decided to get some sleep as she walked to where her tent was. Shane and Ed were yelling at each other like idiots but she pushed it out of her mind and closed her eyes. Tomorrow would be a long day.<p>

Daryl still hadn't returned from his hunt, which meant he was taking shelter and coming back in the morning. At least they would have until then before they had to tell them.

Charlie was dreading telling him that Merle was in Atlanta, stuck on the roof of a clothing department store and possibly dead. She wouldn't be surprised if Daryl ended up punching Rick and T-Dog.

She shook her head as she pulled on a pair of black sweatpants and a warm but comfortable grey t-shirt as she got into her bed. She made herself comfortable as she leaned her head on the pillows and closed her eyes as she drifted off into a restless sleep.

* * *

><p>The morning came fast as Charlie was awoken to yelling. The voice that was yelling sounded like Daryl and the other two sounded like Rick and Shane. She cursed as she quickly got dressed and pulled on a thin black cardigan grabbing her pistol as she hurried outside. Shane had Daryl in a chokehold, anger raged through her as she raced towards them. She raised her gun on Officer Friendly, pulling back the safety.<p>

"Drop him, now." Charlie seethed as she watched Shane and held her gun on Rick.

"Your friend here tried to hurt Rick. I think he needs to calm down." Shane drawled, tightening his hold on Daryl.

Daryl watched reluctantly as Charlie looked him over from afar. She saw dark bruises forming on his throat from where Shane was choking him. That was also when she saw the tossed squirrels and half mutilated deer on the ground near them.

"Asshole told me that he and T-Dog left Merle behind! Just let me go so's I can go get'em!" Daryl yelled, giving in to the choke hold.

"Shane let him go. That's enough!" Rick ordered sharply. Shane released Daryl.

Charlie began to motion for Daryl to follow me as he turned and threw his squirrels at Lori hitting her directly in the mouth. She screamed in shock as everyone glared at the blood that was left behind. Charlie fought to hold in her grin as she motioned again to Daryl.

Daryl and Charlie began pulling their weapons together deciding that they would head back to the city for his brother. But they said nothing to each other as they did so. Daryl was pissed and anything she had to say would surely make it worse.

"I'll come with you and Charlie to get Merle." Rick said, walking up to the two. Charlie didn't agree with what T-Dog and I did... I think it's only fair I own up to that mistake." Rick admitted feeling ashamed as Daryl looked at him in disgust.

"Merle's Family..." Charlie said emphasizing it with her southern drawl. She tried her best in the big city to hide where she had come from but here it didn't much matter anymore. She would never know how much her words touched Daryl in that minute or maybe she did... She had always had this effect on him growing up.

* * *

><p>The small group climbed back into the box truck and headed back to the big city. If they made it in time they would have all day to look for Merle and get Rick's gun bag from under the tank.<p>

"So do we head for the bag of guns first or Merle?" Rick asked Glenn as we piled out.

"Merle! We ain't even havin this conversation!" Daryl snapped, swinging his crossbow onto his back. Charlie couldn't help watch whenever he did that... She loved it as a girl but now... With him all grown up and strong, it was hot.

"We are." Rick threw down, "We need to know which one is closer. We can't risk losing those guns!"

"Merle is closer. So Merle." Glenn said shyly as he began to lead the way back to the department store.

Glenn got them there eventually. The man was fast and sneaky, everyone knew it. So he was the leader when they were out in the open like this. They couldn't walk right in so Glenn lead them up the ladder on the side of the building where Rick had found his way the days before.

"Damn, that is one ugly skank." Daryl said in disgust as he fired his crossbow at a stray walker hitting it in the head. She crumpled to the floor as Daryl retrieved his arrow wiping it on a cloth as they made their way to the pipe.

"Merle!" Daryl shouted urgently as he ran towards the cuffs. Merle was nowhere in sight as they surveyed the scene. All there was left of Merle was his right hand laying limp on the cold stone roof.

"NO, NO, NO!" Daryl yelled pain laced his voice as he paced back and forth impatiently.

She felt sick, where the fucking hell was Merle.

"Fuck Merle. He got out... He must be alive." Charlie whispered still horrified as she went to comfort Daryl. All she could do was give him a sympathetic look and a few words, "No one kills Merle but Merle... We'll find him D."

"This can't be happening." He yelled enraged aiming his crossbow at T-Dog. Rick pulled his pistol but Charlie was one step ahead of him, she pulled out her grandfather's black pistol and pointed right back at him.

"Try it, I dare ya..." She said coldly.

Charlie wasn't someone you should try and take down, she may look like a typical southern belle but she had a dangerous, cold vicious protective streak that ran deep. Rick seemed the same in a way. He never backed down. Charlie wondered just what could make the man give in.

"If you start shooting like idiots you are going to give away our position to those things down there. Can we all just get along please?" Glenn asked, talking everyone down.

The group dropped their weapons and started looking around the area for any sign of Merle.

Soon enough Daryl noticed blood stains on the ground leading back to the door. "He went down this way. Tracks lead into that building down there." He grunted, turning back to the hand.

"Here." T-Dog said, handing Daryl a handkerchief to wrap the hand in.

"Really?" Glenn coughed, watching in horror as Daryl and Charlie packed the thing away in a back pack.

"If we head out now we can look for a little longer. After that we go for the guns... We can't be gettin stuck in the city at night." Rick told them.

"I just wanna find my brother." Daryl said bitterly as they figured out how they would get back into the department store. Looking around they saw more blood leading down to some offices. They followed Daryl inside as they were hit with an awful smell in the air that burned their nostrils. Glenn wrinkled his nose in disgust as they continued on.

"What the hell is that smell?" T-Dog asked in disgust.

"Burnt skin." Charlie answered, remembering the smell from her time working in the ER at the hospital. She had seen hundreds of car crash victims with various burns. She would recognize that smell anywhere.

"How do you know?" T-Dog asked morbidly curious.

"I was training to become a doctor... Also there's skin stuck to that flat top." She said, pointing to the stove. Sure enough there was thick chunks of burnt skin stuck to the grill. The worst part was it was still cooking away... Merle had left it on.

"Merle, ya in here?!" Daryl called out quietly.

"Keep your voices down." Glenn told them. Daryl ignored him, instead focusing in on a bloody wrench that lay on the floor next to two unmoving stiffs.

"He took two of them out with one hand?" Glenn asked shocked. Why they all thought Merle was incapable of protecting someone was beyond Charlie. The guy fought over seas... He hunted, tracked. He knew what he was doing.

"Tough as nails my brother." Daryl said proudly. A broken window and a flight of stairs told its own story as they all trailed the path of blood with their eyes.

"He left the building?!" T-Dog asked stunned.

"He's out there alone, he's surviving." Daryl said simply.

"We need to get the guns. If Merle is still alive he could be anywhere... All we can do now is hope he headed back to camp." Rick said, pulling everyone away from the path of gore.

Daryl looked furious, both he and Charlie knew they couldn't do anything.

"Ok, the guns are here." Glenn spoke up as he drew a small map on some card board. Drawing a box around the bag of guns, they watched curiously.

"How do we get them without heading through the large crowd of walkers on the main road?" Rick asked him.

"Okay look." Glenn said, placing small items on the map. "Here is the Department store. Here is the tank. And this is the alley where I found you." Rick watched him as he told us the plan, "Daryl and I will go that way."

"Why me?" Daryl asked him, curious.

"Your bow is quieter than his gun. Daryl waits here in the alley and I run up the street, grab the bag." Daryl nodded as we all processed the plan.

"And what about Rick, T-Dog and I?" Charlie asked calmly.

"You'll all be in this alley down here." Glenn went on, dropping a small rock on the opposite side of the street. "If things go south I'll need to change course."

They were all now heading back to where they had parked the van talking quietly, Daryl walked alongside Charlie in a peaceful silence.

"I'm sorry we didn't find Merle." Charlie said quietly.


	5. Chapter 5 Night And Day From Hell

Summary: When Daryl defends Charlene from his father's unwanted advances, they are pulled into a painful misunderstanding with the law and Will Dixon. Daryl/OC, Rick/Beth. AU at first but then moves into ZA. Co – Written with alycenwonder. Rated M for violence, language and sexual scenes.

**AN: After hearing what happened in last night's Walking Dead episode, me and alycenwonder will not be following season five but will add certain things. Seeing Beth being killed shattered us, and also poor Daryl, he went through all that to see her die. Carry on Bethyl Shippers, we will still write Daryl and Beth stories because they are the TWD couple! Damn you Gimple, for giving Beth a shitty ending, Carol should have died.**

**Also I have a new TWD story called Ghost Orchid with Beth alive and kicking, review and check it out.**

**Special Thanks To: ****Daydreamer123****, Quest, Guest, ****WalkingPotterGirl14****, Kima Wolfwood, and ****missy7293****. You people rock.**

Carrying On

Chapter 5

* * *

><p>The walk back to the camp was tedious. They had returned to find the cube truck missing. They wondered if maybe Merle had taken it in a fit of rage. Deciding that he most likely had they also figured walking fast was the only option? If Merle was headed back to camp he would be doing so angry.<p>

Charlie was walking beside Daryl, her blond hair up away from her face as they walked. It was in a French plait that complimented her freckled nose somehow... He wouldn't ever be able to really understand it. The way he felt when he looked at her made him uncomfortable. How was he meant to stay away when all he could do was think about her?

They continued to walk in silence as he sensed Charlie's eyes on him... His mind wandered back to the quarry that morning. Her tight breasts glistening in the sunlight... His hand covered his face as he groaned to himself. If only he could find something else to occupy his time.  
>They all walked in a shared silence up the hill when screams ripped through the air around them, sounds of gunshots followed close behind as they all froze. Looking at one another in silent horror they took in the fact that their group was under attack.<p>

"Oh god. CARL?" Rick stammered, horrified, as they ran faster to the quarry. A large herd of walkers were swarming through the camp causing chaos. Every one split off and began taking them out one by one.

Daryl fired his rifle at them covering Charlie who was firing at the walkers that swarmed around the tented area. They fought the dead, loud gunshots and screams of terror were heard as they tried stay alive during the carnage.

Charlie saw a walker behind Carol and fired at it before it could sink its hungry teeth into the woman's skin. The bullet hit dead on as it crumpled to the ground. Brain matter scattered everywhere but it didn't stop Carol giving her a small smile of thanks.

She continued on firing her pistol before using her machete on those coming towards her. Daryl continued covering her shooting a walker that had snuck up behind Charlie. Charlie stopped a moment realizing that it had almost cost her a leg.

"THE RV!" Andrea cried out as the group began running towards the recreational vehicle one by one, taking out a few walkers as they ran.

As they ran they heard someone scream out in agony. Daryl and Charlie looked up only to see Ed being devoured by walkers. They tore into his throat, face, and neck as blood sprayed everywhere. Daryl grabbed Charlie's hand as they continued on firing until each and every walker was dead.

Charlie wondered just how the hell the stiffs knew that their group was all the way up here. Maybe the rural areas just weren't as safe as they had hoped. Once the dead ran out of people to eat in the city it only made sense they would head to other feeding grounds, didn't it?

They barely reached the RV when they heard Amy scream, Amy had been bitten, the walker taking a large chunk of her arm with it before Andrea swooped in, killing it. Bur the fatal bite had been the one left behind on her neck. The girl screamed loudly for Andrea, gripping her throat as she fell into her sister's arms.

"AMY NOOOO, AMY!" Andrea screamed horrified as she held her sister tight against her body, "No... Please wake up. HELP WE NEED HELP!"

Charlie ran to help, she may not like Andrea but she liked Amy. The girl was kind and innocent, she was easy to like. Andrea tried to stem the blood flow from Amy's bleeding bite but it wouldn't stop. Even if it had they all knew she would turn. The best thing for her would be a swift knife to the skull.

"Hold on Amy, just hold on." Andrea pleaded tearfully as Charlie held her sister in her arms. Amy said nothing, her eyes shut as her body began to grey.

"She's gone." Charlie said softly, closing the girl's eyes as she held her. Andrea let out a sob as they both stared back at each other.

The noise the girl had made before death would haunt Charlie. At fifteen years old her grandfather Remy had been very sick with lung cancer and had died in the family home with his two daughters, Charlie's mom Bonnie and her older sister Beatrice. Her two cousins, Leon and Rosella were also there when he died. Charlie remembered his breath had rattled and Daryl had been with her because his grandfather Norman was close friends with Remy. Daryl and her were always together back then...

"AMY, AMY!" Andrea screamed denial in her voice as she replaced Charlie, rocking Amy's limp body in her arms, blood staining her clothes.

Charlie felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to see Rick. "We need to move her." He said softly.

"What we need to do is shoot her. She's gonna turn, then what? You want her to bite someone else?" Daryl grunted a few feet away.

"Daryl!" Charlie snapped at the man. "We need to give them time. Andrea will take care of it."

"Whatever." He scoffed, throwing his arm out in protest. "I'm gonna start diggin."

The group was quiet as Andrea sat alone awaiting her sister's inevitable shift into one of those hungry things... But once it was done they dug. They dug and they buried their own. They even stood up for their friends and said a few words. But even as they did so they all came to a calm understanding; this was it. Life would never be the same

Everyday was a gift if you could call it that. And what were they doing it for? Would the walking dead always be around? They didn't have those answers... All they had was each other.

Charlie was happy to see that even a grumpy Daryl had joined in and watched as they placed their friends into the dirt. He was quiet and he stood back as if to say he didn't much care. But she knew deep down that he did. Why else would he spend all day hunting just to feed them? Why wouldn't he have just left after what they had done to Merle? He cared. She wouldn't say it to him but she would feel it.

* * *

><p>"I think it's time to discuss leaving this place." Rick told the group as they sat around the small camp fire.<p>

"And go where?" Lori asked him as they ate some of their dwindling supplies. They only had some tinned potato and chicken. Daryl wasn't able to hunt upon returning because it was too dark. Even so he was sure the walkers had scared anything nearby away.

"I think we should head to the CDC it may still be up and running. What if they have a cure for this thing?" Rick asked as he looked at all of them. Daryl however didn't believe the CDC had a cure and from the look on Charlie's face, she agreed.

"We should go to Fort Benning, they'll know what to do. I heard they were setting up camps for civilians." Shane said, a slight challenge in his voice as he watched Rick. Charlie couldn't help wonder if Shane had still been fooling around with Lori or if the challenge in his voice was due to the loss of his place as her lover and the groups commander.

"We'll go to Fort Benning?" Shane asked impatiently looking around at everyone. His eyes that held a fiery rage inside them that Charlie was sure everyone noticed. He hated Rick for being alive.

Lori and T-Dog raised their hands up agreeing with him as Rick kept his face blank. "Who thinks we should go to the CDC?" He asked firmly.

Jacqui, Dale, Charlie, Carol and Daryl raised their hands along with Glenn. It seemed the CDC was where they were headed.

"We're not going." Morales announced firmly. "We are sorry, it has nothing to do with you guys. But we have family we need to look for."

"Well we hope you join us when you are done." Rick told them, smiling softly. "The group has voted CDC." He said, turning back to face Shane. "We go there."

Shane didn't look happy but nodded grudgingly as they all started to get ready to leave the quarry. Charlie started packing away her things. She packed up their dwindling medical supplies noting that they needed to restock soon. She headed out of her tent and placed her bags into the back of her car.

"Jim's bit." Jacqui said sadly. Charlie nodded, unable to do much more than that. The man was sweet and very useful to the group. But once you have been bitten that was pretty much the end of the line for you. "Rick wants him along with us in case they have a cure at the CDC." She sighed.

"Alright well... I'll be right behind everyone." Charlie told her, glad that she wouldn't be in the RV with Jim in case he turned. They nodded to each other as they climbed into each vehicle. Charlie turned the key, trying to start the engine but it was followed with the sound of silence. She twisted it three more times before smacking the wheel, "MOTHERFUCKER!" She cried out in n frustration.

* * *

><p>Realizing the only remaining option was Daryl's truck she shifted her things over and climbed in next to him. The ride into the city was met with only more silence.<p>

"That's it." Charlie said to Daryl, pointing out the broken window. "How the hell are we meant to get in?"

"No, fuckin' idea." Daryl said sighing heavily as he tried to figure out what the hell they were going to do. They couldn't stay out after dark, what if they couldn't get in and got stuck out here in the city?

"Walkers!" Daryl called out, drawing several terrified shrieks from the women and children. Charlie gripped her machete as she helped Daryl take down two lone walkers as the group made for the CDC doors.

"He led us into a goddamn graveyard!" He said furiously as Charlie glared back at him from near the truck. The dead had begun to surround the CDC leaving Charlie and Daryl on the outskirts.

"There's no one here!" Lori yelled panic in her voice as she held Carl to her.

"We have to leave!" Shane yelled firmly.

"Back to the cars!" Charlie agreed from afar. She now thought that it was a waste, no one was there. A walker got too close to her, she let out a surprised gasp but Daryl grabbed the back of her shirt with one hand. With the other he grabbed her hand and guided her machete into the face of the Walker. She pulled her hand back and gave him a look of gratitude; he simply nodded as he shot another Walker down. They seemed to just keep coming.

When the group made an attempt run back towards the cars where Charlie and Daryl were Rick stopped them. "WAIT!" Rick said loudly. "It moved… the camera moved."

"It's automated." Shane said. "It probably just picked up our movement!"

"No, someone is in there!" He went up to the camera. "I know you're in there… I know you can hear us! Please, we're desperate – we're hungry, and tired, we have women and children with us… please." He pleaded desperately.

Charlie saw that the Walkers had stopped appearing, her blade was dripping with blood and grime as she stared at the group from next to Daryl's truck. There was a loud noise as they slid up, they all winced at the bright light that they were bathed in moments later.

They all started hurrying towards it, Daryl and Charlie watched as the group filed inside. How the hell were they going to get over there? But before they would figure it out the doors slammed shut, "Daryl! Daryl what the fuck?!" Charlie cried, smashing walkers as she fought to get closer to the building.

By the time Charlie got to the doors she was drenched in walker blood. She smashed her fists against the cold metal. "LET US IN! PLEASE!" But there was no answer and the dead were beginning to pile up once again.

"We gotta go, we can't stay here Char." Daryl said grabbing her hand as they ran from the walkers towards the truck. They quickly got in, walkers pressed themselves against the glass as they drove away leaving the CDC in their dust.

"Fuck." Charlie said sighing heavily as she wondered where they would go.

* * *

><p>Daryl kept driving until he saw an abandoned house with hidden behind a thick treed driveway. It was fairly secluded and would be a great place to hang out for a night or maybe even two. They both piled out and looked around wearily before looking around. They eventually found a way inside and sealed the doors tightly behind them.<p>

Charlie and Daryl began looking around the small 'cabin like' getaway finding not much was left behind. Out back there was a small shed with a few tools they could use. "There's a Genny" Charlie whispered to herself, kicking the small town generator with her foot.

After an hour of trying to start the thing she finally realized there was no gas... So in she went to find out if there was anything they could do about that.

In the main bedroom they found the rotting remains of what looked to be a couple. It was sad Charlie thought to herself as she noticed a bottle of pills strewn on the floor near one of the hands. They held hands, a bullet hole in each one. They must have changed their mind last minute.

"Those are painkillers." Charlie muttered as she kneeled down to pick them up. The things you did these days for supplies...

She shook her head as she turned in the tap in the en suite bathroom and saw they had water, most likely from a well. She looked through a wardrobe and found clothes for herself. Daryl had gone downstairs to keep lookout.

"The old man had plenty of guns." Daryl said, joining her upstairs.

"There's even water so we can shower." Charlie told him and Daryl smiled slightly as they looked over what they had found. The idea of a shower and guns was like Christmas! It didn't matter that it was cold water. Any clean water was better than the alternative. "If we can siphon some gas out of the truck we can have hot water tonight." She muttered, unsure if Daryl would be interested.

He grunted, returning moments later with a gas can. He shoved it her way, "Ain't much more left. Gonna have to ride Merle's bike."

"You get one first." She said smiling as she headed downstairs to fill the genny. He had gotten fairly filthy amongst the dead back at the CDC. "Then we can discuss how the hell we get our group back."

"I'll be quick." Daryl told her as went into the bathroom and closed the door behind him. Charlie smiled softly as she watched him go to get cleaned up.

* * *

><p>Daryl pulled off his filthy sleeveless checkered shirt, dropping it to the floor. He had found some clothes in a spare room earlier that he decided were sufficient enough, ditching his blood soaked items into the trash can. He stepped into the cold water and got clean quickly. Cold water was still cold water...<p>

Water began to spit out of the dirty faucet, turning to warm under his hand. Daryl began scrubbing himself clean of all the dirt and blood that he had gotten on him in the last few days. As he washed his hair he sighed in relief. The days had seemed to mash together lately, each on the same as the last. Turning the shower off, he stepped out of the shower and wrapped a dirty white towel around his body as he located his pants. After he was done he headed back out into the bedroom.

Charlie stood stalk still as the man walked in without his shirt on. Wearing only his jeans, rubbing the towel against his head. Heat pooled inside her belly as she watched the man that had haunted her dreams most nights. "Aww come on woman!" He snapped, realizing he had company. He shifted around, heading back inside the bathroom and slamming the door on her.

The scars that marred his back brought memories of the past back into the light as she sighed inwardly. "I'm so sorry." She whispered. She was sorry she couldn't save him. Would he even want it?

Judging from the look on Daryl's face, he clearly felt the same way although he wouldn't admit it to her. It showed on his face. She sighed before going into the bathroom to shower.

* * *

><p>Charlie cooked some tomato soup with tinned peaches for dessert as they ate the very filling meal. Daryl pulled out a map, noting there was a rural town close by.<p>

"Do you think we'll find them, D?" Charlie asked softly as she sipped her soup and Daryl looked at her for a minute before nodding.

"Yeah, we'll find them. Only be a matter of where they'll be headin' if the CDC is a total bust." Daryl said honestly.

Charlie nodded in understanding as she looked around the cabin, it wasn't going to last long. The dead always found you, it didn't matter how hidden you were.

Charlie was knocked out of her thoughts as they both heard the familiar snarls and growls they had become so used to. Daryl looked through the window and saw a herd of forty walkers stumbling towards them. He swore softly before grabbing their stuff as they both prepared to run from the cabin. Daryl fired a bolt at one of the walkers as it broke through the door, grabbing a hold of Charlie's arm and pulling her towards it. They had to get through now before there were too many.

They started fighting alongside each other as they ran through the walkers and got to the bike. It roared to life and they drove away from the cabin leaving the warmth of the showers behind them.

Charlie gripped Daryl around the waist nervously. Her hands sliding along the cook leather. Daryl gave her right hand a light squeeze as they continued to drive.

The wind blew on them as they drove down a small road seeing a sign that said, 'Welcome to Mert County,' Daryl hoped it meant that they would find somewhere to stay. Looking around they saw shops that didn't look raided. Daryl thought that was unusual...

Daryl pulled up outside an abandoned building. They were about to get out when they heard the sound of a gun click and looked to see a young dark haired woman and young teenage boy aiming guns at them.

"Who are you and what you want?"

"We don't mean any harm, we're just looking for a place to stay. That's all." Charlie said softly as she held out her hands to show she and Daryl didn't mean any harm. The woman looked at them suspiciously before nodding.

"We have a farm that ya'll can stay at. My daddy's in charge but if you're willing to help around then ya can all stay. If he says so of course." She told them wearily as she lowered her shotgun. The younger one called Jimmy didn't follow her, holding his weapon up at them.

"Jimmy for god's sake, lower the damn gun!" She hissed in annoyance. They hadn't seen others since all this started. The chance to see new faces excited Maggie. She wouldn't have him ruin it for her.

"Follow us." She told them, leading them off towards the farm.

* * *

><p>"At least he is some kinda doctor." Daryl muttered as we set up our tents next to each other. Hershel wasn't too happy that Maggie had brought home strays but at the same time Charlie was sure he understood her loneliness.<p>

"I haven't seen one walker since we got here D... It doesn't seem natural." Charlie said back, sliding in the last tent pole.

"Maybe they ain't around here, less people to eat." Daryl said looking at her as he finished setting his own tent up. They soon had two tents beside each other as they started looking around the place for fire wood.

"That wouldn't make sense D... They always find you." She finally said, breaking the silence.

Charlie saw a young girl around her mid to late teenage years, shyly walk towards them as she pulled her blonde hair away from her face. The girl watched them carefully as she approached.

"My daddy says you're welcome to join us for dinner." She offered. The two smiled back at the girl as they followed after her. Charlie went to help Patricia, Maggie and Beth cook. Hershel got to know Daryl a little better.

"My name's Hershel Greene." Hershel said in a strong but kind voice.

"Daryl, Daryl Dixon." Daryl said gruffly and Hershel nodded.

"I know you, you were just a toddler. Your father and me would run in the same drinking circle." He said with a dark chuckle that made Daryl look up at the man in surprise.

"Ain't sayin much." Daryl grunted.

"You are welcome here boy. That girl you brought to. But if there is any funny business I will have to ask you to leave. I can't be chasing you both around, so I trust that you will respect my rules."

"Ya got my word." Daryl assured him. Hershel nodded as Patricia, Charlie, Maggie and Beth started placing the food on the table. Daryl could smell chicken pie and saw side dishes that had sweetcorn, cornbread and potatoes as they all sat down. Charlie even sat down next to Daryl as they all listened to Hershel thank the Lord for guiding Daryl and Charlie to the farm.

"This is delicious." Charlie said to Patricia who smiled at her. Otis entered the room and Charlie's eyes widened as she saw her beloved her uncle ran to him.

"Charlie!" Otis said, pulling the small woman up from her spot and hugging her tightly to him. "I can't believe it. Girl why aren't you safe in the hospital?" He asked her.

"Nowhere is safe Otis." She whimpered, holding him just as tight. "I came home to find you and Daryl." Daryl's ears perked up as she spoke, not knowing that was her reason for leaving the safety of her job. It wasn't what he had wanted but he would be lying if he said it didn't make him feel good.

"You left Atlanta to find us, baby girl?" Otis asked stunned as he checked his niece for any injuries. Patricia watched fondly as Charlie chuckled softly at him. They both sat down as Otis nodded to Daryl.

"Thank you, for lookin' after my niece, she's like the daughter Pat and I never had. And I gotta say boy, thank fuck yer alive and kickin!" Otis said to him.

"Wasn't gonna let her be hurt by all this." Daryl said quietly but meaningfully. After that all that could be heard was the chomping of teeth as the small family sat and enjoyed their first real meal.

Daryl couldn't help but relish eating the chicken that for once wasn't out of a tin as he ate it and drank his cup of coffee, the family talked happily to each other as they ate the food and enjoyed it.

He glanced at Charlie who was talking to Patricia and Beth happily, her dark blue eyes shining with content as she explained to them about what she had done as a doctor. Daryl had heard from Otis that she looked after kids and babies. Or at least she had wanted to.

Daryl bit his lip as they all finished eating and Charlie went to help Maggie, Beth and Patricia wash up the dishes while Daryl sat in the in the living room as the others washed and he wondered where the others were.

Had they found a safe haven in the CDC or had they died. The thought sat uneasily with Daryl as he saw Charlie finish up. They started saying goodnight to the others, Otis and Patricia hugged them both warmly.

Daryl couldn't help but feel accepted by the Greene family. Charlie was smiling softly as they walked in silence to the tents. That was the first full night's sleep Daryl had in almost a year.


	6. Chapter 6 Bloodletting

Summary: When Daryl defends Charlene from his father's unwanted advances, they are pulled into a painful misunderstanding with the law and Will Dixon. Daryl/OC, Rick/Beth. AU at first but then moves into ZA. Co – Written with alycenwonder. Rated M for violence, language and sexual scenes.

**AN: After hearing what happened in Monday's Walking Dead episode, me and alycenwonder will not be following season five but will add certain things. Seeing Beth being killed shattered us, and also poor Daryl, he went through all that to see her die. Carry on Bethyl Shippers, we will still write Daryl and Beth stories because they are the TWD couple!**

**Also I have a new TWD story called Ghost Orchid with Beth alive and kicking, review and check it out.**

**I don't care that Beth may be dead in the series, I'm a Bethyl fan and a Daryl/OC fan, and if they put Daryl with Carol I'm done. All I see is a sibling bond but with Beth….It was a romantic bond but here's hoping he finds love in the next half of the series.**

**Special Thanks To: ****Daydreamer123****, Quest, Guest, ****WalkingPotterGirl14****, Kima Wolfwood, jeanf and ****missy7293****. You people rock.**

Carrying On

Chapter 6

* * *

><p>A few days had passed quickly as the two visitors helped out around the still functioning farm. The heat was crazy in the fields were Daryl and Charlie worked away on the fences. That was all Charlie seemed to be able to think about until she began hallucinating. She had to be hallucinating right?<p>

"HELP! SOMEONE PLEASE HELP! MY SON'S BEEN SHOT!" A man yelled. A man who looked a whole lot like officer friendly. Otis followed close behind him.

Charlie exchanged a look with Daryl realizing it was reality. They dropped their tools and hurried to help Rick. Sure enough as they got closer to where Otis was with the man, it was indeed Rick Grimes and in his arms, covered in blood...Was Carl.

Oh shit. "Charlie!" Hershel said roughly, snapping her out of it.

"We gotta get him inside the house, NOW." Charlie yelled out to everyone. As they helped Rick and Carl inside, Rick looked a wreck, his face pale as a sheet.

"What the hell happened?" Daryl asked as he followed.

"Carl was shot...while we were looking for Sophia." Rick choked looking distraught.

"I shot him Char." Otis whimpered from behind. "I shot him."

"You didn't mean to Uncle Otis, you were hunting." Charlie reassured him as she placed a stethoscope against his chest and listened.

"Okay, do you know his blood type is? He needs a blood transfusion while Hershel and I work to get out the bullets?" Charlie asked as Patricia hooked up Carl to a saline drip. The kid needed a lot of work and Charlie wasn't so sure he would live through it.

"He's A positive," Rick said quickly as he held Carl's hand, stroking his hair gently. "Same as me."

Hershel nodded as he inserted an IV into Rick's right arm so he could give blood to Carl who was still unconscious. "Lori doesn't know." Rick stammered. "I... She doesn't know."

"Daryl can go." Charlie said, "Tell him where they are and he can go get em'." She needed them to clear the room so she could get to work.

Maggie set Daryl up with a horse, deciding that she would go with him.

"Sorry we left you behind. The doctor there shut the doors and refused to open them." Rick said sadly. "The man was crazy."

"We got left behind and that's how we met Hershel and my Uncle Otis." Charlie explained as she tried to focus on Carl.

Rick nodded in understanding as he watched her tend to his son. A young woman with blonde hair stepped in and helped Charlie tend to Carl as Rick prayed that Lori came soon. If his boy died... He wouldn't forgive himself.

* * *

><p>Daryl was riding one of the horses to the highway along with Maggie as they reached the cars that Rick had told them about. He immediately saw Lori comforting a sobbing Carol. It seemed like the woman was always crying... But Daryl tried hard to be nice because it seemed her life was hard.<p>

"Lori's gotta come with us, her boy's been shot." Daryl said, approaching the worried group.

"WHAT?!" Lori screamed horrified grabbing her backpack and leaving Carol. "Oh god, please take me to them." She said getting on Maggie's horse.

"Whoa- whoa – whoa!" T-Dog yelled at Lori. "We don't know this girl and Daryl cold be lying! You can't get on that horse!"

"I don't think you really have time for this. Carl is in bad condition." Maggie said swiftly.

"We got a farm about two miles away, there's a sign not far down." She explained quickly as she turned the horse around. "Backtrack down the road, two miles down, you'll see the mail box. Names Greene." And with that, they left. The horse running off into the distance with Lori on the back.

They got back to the farm, making good time. Shane and Otis had decided to head into town together to find the supplies needed to save Carl's life, leaving Charlie and Hershel doing all they could.

Lori screamed in horror at seeing her only child lying almost lifeless on the bed. His chest was bared as Charlie monitored Carl's condition along with Hershel when she stormed towards Rick, slapping him roughly.

"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO? You were meant to be watching him!" Lori wailed as she collapsed and began to cry. Hershel and Charlie left so they could talk in private but Charlie was pissed.

"Sophia's missin'." Daryl told her, leaning up against the hallway outside Carl's room. "Carol's is beside herself. I best help look for er."

Charlie nodded in understanding, her heart aching for the missing little girl. She sympathized with Carol immensely over her missing daughter. Charlie reached up and touched his shoulder.

"Be careful, I have faith knowing that you'll find Sophia." She told him softly. She felt him stiffen but she shrugged it off.

A few minutes later a car pulled up, Shane hobbling out into the daylight. Charlie and Patricia looked around for Otis but found him nowhere. Blood was caked and dried to Charlie's arms, her sleeves rolled up to her elbows.

"Otis?" Hershel asked worried.

"He didn't make it." Shane said quietly, telling them the story.

Charlie's hands shook as she raised a cigarette to her lips. She ignored Carl's blood as she lit the thing shakily. Pat sobbed as she left Shane on the door step. They story he had told seemed a lie. Why would Shane have Otis's weapon? It didn't sit well with Charlie.

Otis loved that gun, it had been his dad's and when her uncle had been old enough, and he had been taught how to hunt with it. She felt her eyes sting with tears as she hurried to where Shane was and grabbed the rifle away from him. "You are a liar." She said sternly, making direct eye contact. Then carried it into her tent, feeling her chest heave in anguish.

Shane was lying. He had to be. There was no way he could have done that. She shakily went back into the house and tended to Carl now that they had the supplies when she noticed Rick and Lori looking stoney faced.

She had bigger things to worry about than Lori's midlife crisis. The woman was annoying and in Charlie's opinion a bit of a whore.

Soon she had finished tending to Carl and once satisfied that Carl was comfortable, she left the room and found Patricia sitting downstairs with Beth and Maggie. The four of them held each other as they sobbed for Otis.

Charlie felt her chest heave as she cried, she hadn't cried this much since her granddaddy had died and Daryl had been sent to prison. The older woman hugged her tightly.

* * *

><p>"I found a house I think the girl stayed in." Daryl said the next morning as the group stood around discussing their plan for finding Sophia. "I think if I get back out there I can find er."<p>

"Good. Take Andrea." Rick said, pointing to the angst blonde.

"No." He replied, swinging his crossbow over his shoulder. "I go alone. I don't need to be carrying blondie." They all knew how she could be. No one really wanted to work with her if they could help it.

"Fine, but be back by sun down or we come looking." Rick said, rolling the map up. "The rest of ya'll pick a job and stick with it. Hershel could use our help."

Everyone nodded as Rick noticed Charlie standing over Otis's grave. She was singing a song softly and bowed her head before putting a flower on his grave as her shoulders silently shook with grief.

Rick felt his heart ache, Charlie had done so much for his family the last few days. His best friend had been lying but he had shrugged it off. Until this second he hadn't realized the extent of Shane's cruelty.

He silently walked over, laying his hand on her shoulder. "I am so sorry."

* * *

><p>Daryl ventured into the woods looking around for Sophia. He decided to head back to the highway where Sophia had gotten lost after he lost her prints back at the house. He was so sure she had been there...<p>

He followed them cautiously as he saw a clearing up ahead. Cherokee roses bloomed around grassy hill as he stopped, looking around. He was having a hard time not being able to find her.

"Sophia!" He called out quietly.

No one answered and he sighed heavily as he looked around. It was starting to get dark, he had to head back before Rick sent a search party for him. His mind wandered to Charlie. He knew she would be grieving. He felt like an ass, not being able to work up the nerve to comfort her like he should have.

He picked one of the Cherokee roses from the clearing and started the walk back to the Greene farm.

* * *

><p>Charlie walked the perimeter of the farm, her hand dragging against the fence. Still no walkers in a few days. This had her worrying. Where were they all? There was no rational explanation for it. Her only thought was that the Greene's were hiding something big from her group. She may be a friend but she wouldn't let them hurt anyone.<p>

She decided she would look around later that night once she knew everyone was asleep. They had to be hiding something. She shook it off as her mind wondered to Daryl and Otis, she missed her uncle so much and hope that he hadn't suffered. She saw Daryl walking towards her looking shy.

He looked at her quietly.

"How ya holdin' up?" He asked softly, Charlie looked at him to see he had a flower in his right hand.

"Ok, been better." She said sadly as they walked together along the fence line. "Just thinking about the lack of walkers again... It doesn't seem right to me." Daryl was quiet a moment, "That for me?" Charlie asked him.

"Picked it for yah. Been thinkin you might be sad." Charlie smiled softly to Daryl as he handed the flower over to her. She inhaled its sweet scent and looked back up at him with an awkward smile. Daryl scratched the back of his head nervously.

"Did you find anything?" She asked softly. Daryl sighed to himself, defeated.

"I found tracks not far out. I'm gonna borrow one of Hershel's horses in the morning and look for Sophia near the creek." He hoped he would find the girl then because even he was starting to worry about her. The nights Daryl had spent in the woods as a boy were much different. There were no dead people wandering around trying to eat him.

"Who knows what she's doing out there. She must be so hungry and scared." Charlie said as they walked back to the camp. Glenn saw the two approach and hurried over looking tired.

"Hey, I'm glad you two are ok." He said meaning it.

They both nodded as Daryl asked something that had been playing on their minds.

"Any luck at the CDC?" He asked gruffly.

"No... I mean... We figured out just how nuts the guy running that place was..."

"Christ." Charlie said rubbing her face as they walked back to their camp in an easy silence. Glenn wandered off towards the eldest Greene daughter, Maggie. There in the middle of camp they flirted back and forth. They were soon joined by Beth.

"Hey Beth, you okay?" Charlie asked the seventeen year old.

"I should be asking you that." Beth said back.

"I'll be ok, it just doesn't make sense. Uncle Otis would never let go of that gun. It has been in our family since the American Civil War. So why Shane would have it... I don't get a good feeling." Charlie said sighing.

Beth looked at her sadly as they sat around the camp that Daryl and Charlie had made. The group had built their own camp about twenty feet off, deciding the area was bigger. But Daryl and Charlie liked their privacy so it worked out in their favour. Charlie started roasting a squirrel that Daryl had caught in a snare trap as Beth sat down.

Oddly enough Charlie didn't know Beth at all. Even with Otis living so close Charlie had never strayed far from his house. But she seemed like a nice girl, one worth getting to know better.

The food cooked as Charlie quickly got up to go check on Carl. She went inside the house and upstairs where she found him playing cards with Rick. Lori was no where in sight, surprise, surprise.

Charlie smiled as she knocked gently on the door to the room. Charlie checked over Carl and listened to his chest, his heartbeat was normal. Without an X-ray she couldn't be totally sure, but she hoped there was no more internal bleeding.

"How are you feeling, Carl?" Charlie asked the boy.

"I'm okay." He said, obviously very tired.

"Good, good. Now listen very carefully. I want you to stay in bed for a week while you get better." Charlie said gently but firmly and Carl nodded. She smiled at him.

"And you." Charlie said, pointing to Rick Grimes. "You rest, you've lost far too much blood to be running around doing chores."

"Yes Mam." He teased, saluting her.

* * *

><p>Charlie arrived back to her camp fire and Beth right on time. She took the roasted squirrel off Daryl's homemade spit and offered it around camp.<p>

Carol accepted gratefully, "Thank you Charlie." She muttered, trying to smile but failing. Charlie nodded, understanding her sadness over the fact that her daughter was out in the woods somewhere, scared, tired and alone. Charlie wouldn't wish that anyone.

She sighed as she sat down next to Daryl and ate the squirrel meat in silence. People talked quietly about the search for Sophia in the morning.

As they sat in calm silence the Sun went down and the Moon came out. It shone over the camp, casting a silver light over them. "I need ya to take my watch shift tonight." Charlie whispered to Glenn.

"Okay, sure. Why?" He asked, surprised she would come to him for anything. They hadn't exactly become friends.

"There's something I need to do tonight." She told him, not giving her secret plan away. She knew from past occurrences that the man was a bit of a gossip. He couldn't keep secrets.

"Alright, good luck with your big secret." Glenn said nodding, leaving to take watch on the RV.

* * *

><p>Charlie started to look around, armed with her flashlight and machete. She had no idea where she would begin but decided to check the outskirts first. This left a small chicken coop, a barn where the family had been keeping horses and a large hay barn. She snuck around them, finding nothing. "Dammit." She cursed, what the hell was going on?<p>

The hay barn was last as she skimmed the side facing the woods so as not to be found. She wasn't so sure what would happen if they caught her. Her hands ran along the rough old wood of the barn as she finally reached a ladder that lead up into a loft area. Climbing it she crawled low on her knees, leaning over the edge to look down inside. A low growl from below turned her blood ice cold as she realized what she had found...

Walkers. A whole friggen lot of them huddled together snarling and growling as they banged against the barn doors. It seemed as she shone her light towards the door that it was held together by a thin chain. How long until they got out? Charlie retreated back down the ladder as quickly as she could.

Her heart was pounding as she hurried back to her tent, stunned. Surely Hershel knew that they were dangerous? That they could kill him and his family? Why the hell was he keeping them here?

She shuddered to think what would happen if they got out. That was a small bloody herd! "Daryl!" She yelled in a hushed tone into his tent. "D!"

"What? What is it?" He asked, unzipping his tent and looking out at her.

"We gotta talk. Something bad is happening." She muttered, pushing him out of the way and climbing in. She could tell he didn't feel comfortable with her in his space but she shrugged it off. There were more important things to worry about. "Look... I found walkers in the barn. There is a small fucking herd in there." She said to him.

"What?" He asked, confused.

"Just what I said... What are we gonna do D?" She asked, worried. She hoped he had some ideas.

"I dunno... Let Rick handle it. Ain't our problem." He grumbled, plopping his ass back down in his bed.

"Daryl please, talk to me." Charlie asked him again, pained as she reached for his hand and grasped it. Daryl pulled away angrily in return.

"Why you gotta keep touchin me?" He snapped loudly. Charlie felt tears sting her eyes as she glared back at him, "Get gone!"

Could he tell her that nothing had happened in prison? That he had just been angry at the world for dropping them in those shitty lives. "Daryl please." She said again.

She took his hand again, squeezing it tightly. "Please don't push me away again." She touched her cold cheek to it.

Daryl stiffened slightly as per usual. Could he tell her that he had nightmares about what Will had done to them? Would she understand his fear that he would become like his father who he hated with a fiery rage. Would she tell him how much he looked like Will?

"I had nightmares." He said finally as he allowed her to hold on to his hand. He swallowed as they sat on the hard floor of the tent.

"About what?" Charlie asked, hoping it wasn't about her.

Daryl bowed his head, his eyes burned slightly as the memories of eight years ago entered his mind. He had been knocked unconscious while his best friend, the person who understood him had been violated and nearly raped by his father. He had wanted to pick up a pen in prison and write to her but his insecurities stopped him.

"That night." He muttered, finally pulling away from her and running his hand up through his unwashed hair. "I hate myself Char. I hate where I came from."

Charlie understood what Daryl was saying, she had lived it to. He felt it was his fault for what had happened to her. She wanted nothing more than to hold him and tell him it wasn't his fault.

"You're not to blame Daryl, this wasn't your fault. It was Will's." She said, "You aren't Willard fucking Dixon."

"But I let it happen Char... That fuckin' animal hurt ya, I didn't protect ya..." Daryl said letting out some of the pain and rage. His head was low as he avoided eye contact.

"You ain't Willard Daryl. You are just... Daryl." She sighed. "I don't want ya to ignore me anymore because of this alright? If you let what Will did change who ya are then he wins."

Charlie touched his scalp lightly before leaving him to sleep. She had a lot to think about. Walkers in the barn. Daryl's self-hatred... It would be hard for her to get much sleep.


	7. Chapter 7 Let Me In Your Heart

Summary: When Daryl defends Charlene from his father's unwanted advances, they are pulled into a painful misunderstanding with the law and Will Dixon. Daryl/OC, Rick/Beth. AU at first but then moves into ZA. Co – Written with alycenwonder. Rated M for violence, language and sexual scenes.

**Alycenwonder is writing another walking dead fic so check it out. A Walk In The Dark! I's a fantastic story. :)**

**Also I have a new TWD story called Ghost Orchid with Beth alive and kicking, review and check it out.**

**Special Thanks To: ****Daydreamer123****, Quest, Guest, ****WalkingPotterGirl14****, Kima Wolfwood, jeanf and ****missy7293****. You people rock.**

Carrying On

Chapter 7

* * *

><p>Daryl tried not to think about what happened late last night in his tent. If he let it get to him he wouldn't be able to focus on the task at hand. He had to find Sophia. He may have even forgotten to tell Hershel about borrowing a certain horse.<p>

It was just before the sun came up when he rode out into the woods in search of Sophia. Daryl had found tracks leading to a creek he followed them hopeful that he would find the small girl. It didn't make him feel great seeing some walker tracks not far behind.

"Come on, Daryl, man up," he muttered to himself as he trekked through the forest. He had to keep telling himself not to think about Charlie. It wouldn't help. She had told him she wanted to be friends again, like the used to be. He wanted that. But he wasn't so sure he was the same.

He guided the horse to the creek. It began to buck as a snake slithered towards them out of the thick green tufts.

"Easy, easy." Daryl cooed trying to calm her. Instead she bucked hard enough to send him smack into one of his loose bolts. He rolled away from the pain in his side only to fall hard over the edge of a cliff, hitting his head on a large boulder. Darkness crept across his vision as he fought to stay awake.

* * *

><p><em>Daryl's eyes cracked open again due to an intense stinging sensation in his side. He looked down to see that he had landed on one of his arrows, his blood spilling out into the water. "Son' bitch," he coughed, staggering to find his footing. How was he going to get himself out of this mess?<em>

_He tore the sleeves of his light brown shirt tying it around his stomach tightly to keep the bleeding to a minimum._

_"Fuck," Daryl mumbled, as he looked around in the water for his crossbow. A walker stumbled towards him through the river, moaning and snapping as it went. He picked up a branch and searched around for his weapon. The branch connected with something hard as he placed his hands into the water to pick up his beloved weapon. He raised it with little time to spare fired an arrow at the walkers head hitting it right between the eyes._

_Daryl collapsed back into the rocky, river, falling onto his back. "Common on baby brother. You just gonna die here?" Merle's voice rang out._

_"Merle?" He said, stunned as he looked up to see his older brother. Merle chuckled slightly as he leaned down to look at Daryl's weakened body._

_"What are ya doin' out here baby brother?" He asked dryly._

_"Carol lost her little girl." Daryl breathed, trying not to inhale too deeply._

_"Better get up fore ya loose too much blood. Come on Darylina, up!" He said sternly._

_"Can't, hurts." He muttered back as he returned to dream land._

* * *

><p>Daryl woke up dazed as he felt something chewing on his right boot. Looking down he saw it was a walker. He kicked it in the face before moving away and grabbing a branch. He then smashed it into the walker's face hard.<p>

* * *

><p>Charlie had been sitting by the camp fire doing some mending to her and Daryl clothes. They would need to start getting winter clothes soon as it got closer to November. She brushed her hair away before breathing in Daryl's scent. It smelled of cedar and smoke and she loved it. She would never admit it to anyone but she was alone...<p>

She wished Daryl would stop blaming himself for what Will had done. It was over and she really didn't want to think about it anymore. If they could just move on... Charlie hoped he was okay after last night.

She loved him. She could even remember the exact moment she had fallen for him all those years back. He was young and so was she. He had been lost in the woods and she had been so worried about him. But Merle was gone and his father was drunk with God knows who. She had shown up looking for him and found him stark naked and eating a peanut butter sandwich in his kitchen.

He had wiped his ass the whole week with poison oak. The best part was that he scratched his ass non-stop for a whole week. She teased him constantly. But the way he looked at her with that mouth full of peanut butter had done it. She had loved him.

She had never stopped loving him, simple as that. She finished Daryl's shirts and she folded them up into a neat pile. She began to fix his jeans when she saw something in the distance.

"Walker!" Andrea called warning the group as she picked up her gun. Dale cried out to stop her but she was stubborn and ignored the man.

That was not a walker, Charlie could tell. "STOP!" She said loudly jumping from her spot by the fire, "STOP ANDREA!"

But the woman shot anyways. Charlie didn't even stop to protest further as she began running for the man.

"DARYL!" Charlie cried out, dropping to her knees in front of him.

"Ya shot me?!" Daryl asked stunned. He was covered in dirt, blood and... Had a necklace of walker ears around his neck. He had only a cut on his forehead. When she saw the bleeding wound on his right side she whimpered. He was also carrying a doll in his other hand.

"The hell happened?" Rick asked as he hurried over to help and helped Daryl up.

"Fell... On a bolt." He muttered, blinking up at Charlie. She allowed the men to grab Daryl and take him towards the house. Andrea came running towards them.

"OH my god! Daryl I am so sorry!" She mumbled.

Charlie jumped in front of him. Before anyone could process what Charlie was about to do she hauled back and punched Andrea right in the face. The woman gripped her nose and fell back. Blood poured through her hands as she gagged.

"When someone tells ya to stop maybe ya outta think about LISTENING!" Charlie snapped.

Andrea didn't say anything as she clutched her bloody nose. The others gathered to help her. Charlie hurried into the house where Daryl was being taken into a guest bedroom.

She found Daryl made Rick remove Daryl's shirt as she grabbed a basin of hot water. She began bathing the wound, Daryl had staunched the bleeding by placing his ripped sleeves on the wound. Luckily it hadn't hit any internal organs. As she did this Rick tried waking him up.

"Where did you find the doll?" Rick asked quietly as Daryl sat up to look better at the map.

"Round near the creek." Daryl told him. Hershel came in with his medical bag.

"I should have warned you earlier about Nervous Nellie, she's very shy around strangers." Hershel told him. "I'll leave you two alone."

"You'll need to rest for two days but luckily you didn't damage any organs." Charlie said as she pushed some thread into her needle. "Tell me what the hell happened Daryl."

"I saw Merle." He coughed. "Out in the creek."

Daryl sighed sadly before shaking his head at her question. She sat down and rubbed her arms which were covered by a black cardigan.

"No, I dreamed him up... Weren't real." Daryl said gruffly as he drank some water.

"Ready?" She asked him as she poked then needle through his flesh. Daryl nodded, gritting his teeth as Charlie stitched the wound on his side and cleaned it again before throwing the cloth into the bin, she then got out a clean one and smiled.

She sewed up both wounds and covered them in new bandages before replacing her items into their rightful places.

"There all done." She said, sitting back on the bed next to him.

"Thanks." Daryl quietly, meaning it.

"You stay in here tonight. I know you don't want to but tough. I'm the doctor here not you." Daryl nodded shifted a bit so he could be comfortable in the bed.

Charlie stayed were she was on the bed and watched him lean against the pillows. The moon shone behind the clouds reminding her what time it was. Charlie gave him some painkillers.

"Take these and get some sleep. I'll come check on ya later." She said softly. Their hands touched briefly as she passed him a glass of water. "Get some sleep."

* * *

><p>Charlie sat by the open fire in the main camp. Mostly everyone had gone off to bed, leaving the area very empty. But Glenn joined her, climbing down from the RV. Andrea and Dale took over watch for the night.<p>

"Hey." Glenn said awkwardly, sitting down next to her.

"What's goin on?" She asked him, raising her brow. It wasn't every day the guy made small talk with her. And since the day in town with him and Maggie she figured he would avoid her.

"Look... I noticed you watching the barn over there. I was wondering if you knew about..." He stopped for a minute and looked at it. She could tell he was thinking about it.

"The walkers?" She asked him, smirking as his face changed to shock.

"You know about them..." Glenn whispered. Charlie nodded grimly, her eyes worried as she cast a look over where the barn stood. It wasn't near the camp but still the thought of living near walkers made her shiver.

"I saw them the night I asked you to take watch. Daryl knows to." Charlie said sighing huddling closer to the fire.

"Maggie caught me looking at them." Glenn confessed to her. "I saw Pat feeding them." Glenn showed a look of disgust. "I am going to tell the group tomorrow. Maggie wants me to keep their secret but... How can I?"

"Alright. Well good luck with that." Charlie said, climbing out of the chair. "I ain't gettin involved."

* * *

><p>Morning came faster then she thought it would as Charlie went to check on Daryl. She found him lying on his sleeping bag with his shirt open, clearly he had taken her seriously for once as she peered through the flap. But he was meant to be in the house! Damn redneck.<p>

"Hey, you okay?" She asked him.

"Yah, just wanted my tent." He grumbled, his arm flying up to cover the sun from his eyes.

"What happened to yer aunt and cousins?" He asked finally, his arm still covering his face.

She looked at her hands, she had tried to get in contact with her aunt Beatrice and two cousins, Leon and Rose but they never answered the calls, a part of Charlie wondered if they had died or if they made it?

"I don't know, I wish I knew where they were." She said quietly.

Daryl saw the sadness in her eyes and voice. He followed her out of the tent, sighing. He guessed he wouldn't be getting much rest if she kept pestering him. They both sat down as he started oiling his crossbow. Charlie did the same with her machete.

The machete was an excellent weapon for Charlie, at least he thought so. It made her look bad ass when she focused on sharpening her weapon.

"Hey, I'm sorry about yesterday." Andrea said genuinely apologetic as she joined them. Charlie bit her tongue. Andrea did seem sorry. She gave Daryl a small smile hoping that he would forgive her...

"What no pictures?" He asked dryly.

Andrea did seem sorry. She gave Daryl a small smile hoping that he would forgive her... She handed over a small book. Maybe that would help bridge the gap.

"Was the only book I could find." Andrea admitted ruefully. Daryl nodded as he looked back at her. He was never great at ending the conversation.

"Ya shoot me again, ya gonna know about it." He warned and Andrea nodded.

"Yah..." She said awkwardly, backing away from the two friends.

"It's great ya know?" Charlie said, smiling as she looked up from her machete. "They all just sort of... Skirt around ya."

"Mm." He growled a bit, hiding a smile as he rejoined her.

Charlie couldn't help but smile as she finished cleaning her machete. Afterwards she went inside her tent to get her sewing basket, it had belonged to her grandmother and had been passed on to her. It meant a lot to Charlie. She was glad she hadn't left it behind.

She started mending some of their clothes as Daryl whittled some bolts for his crossbow. The sun beat down over them. From the distance, Carol smiled at the two who were still interested in searching for her daughter.

Carol wasn't so sure it would come of anything anymore. But knowing someone was out there helped her sleep a little better at night. Hopefully they would find her body so Carol could put Sophia to rest properly.

Carol left them in peace and went to do some laundry to keep her mind off things. Thinking about Sophia only made her sad.

"Glenn." Charlie said, eying the man who stood watching her awkwardly. "Need something?"

"Rick wants us to head out, make a run. I was wondering if you would be interested." He said, walking around the picnic bench and leaning against the RV. "Lori needs some things... I was thinking we could get lists from everyone."

"Okay. Who else is coming on this run?" Charlie asked him.

"Maggie and I... And I was hoping you." His eyes travelled up to where the brunette stood waiting. "We would have to leave fairly quickly."

"Ah, I see." She smirked, "Ya sure I should come?" She asked him. She wondered if it was just because he was nervous about the farmer's daughter.

"Ya, we could use you."

Charlie nodded, understanding as she went to tell Daryl where she was going. Charlie found him still making bolts, fletching them as she approached him.

"I'm just going on a run with Glenn and Maggie, okay?" She said softly as her dark blue eyes met his.

Daryl nodded in understanding and looked at her. "Ya be careful, alright?"

"Always am." She said back, grabbing her machete. "If I ain't back by nightfall don't come lookin." Charlie said, turning to leave.

"Right." Daryl muttered back. He wouldn't go running after the girl that quickly. Running off in the dark meant getting lost.

He would head out at the crack of damn dawn to get her. She was his best friend, there was no way anyone would stop him. He continued fletching his bolts as he watched her get on a horse and ride away with the Asian and Maggie.

* * *

><p>Charlie, Maggie and Glenn arrived in town, tying up the horses outside the pharmacy. The group started looking around for which building they should go in first. "We need to find the pharmacy." Glenn said, speaking up.<p>

The two followed behind Maggie as she led them to a small box store. "This is it, might not be much in there."

The three found their way inside. Maggie had been right, there wasn't much. A few bottles of Tylenol, one box of tampons and some chips. Not the best find ever Charlie thought as she shoved the stuff into her rucksack.

They were going to have to go on another run and find more food. They finished gathering what they could find when Charlie and Glenn heard Maggie scream in terror. Charlie dropped her bag and pulled her machete off her back, running towards the screams.

"Get off me, get off!" Maggie screamed trying to push the walker away. Glenn grabbed a nearby shelf, swinging into the walkers head. Blood sprayed in Maggie face but the walker got right back up again. "Get out of the damn way!" Charlie yelled angrily. Why the hell did people have to panic so much?

She jammed the machete down into its skull and using her foot to hold the thing, she ripped it out again. "Ya get it in ya mouth?" She asked roughly.

Maggie shook her head, wiping her face on her shirt. The fear in her eyes told Charlie that she had never seen one killed before.

"Daddy was wrong about them being sick." Maggie said her voice breaking slightly as Glenn hugged her close. Charlie sympathised with her, it was hard knowing that your mom and step brother were sick and then be told they were dead and gone and they were empty shells. That was their reality. There was no saving the dead.

Her thoughts drifted to the CDC and she wondered briefly if Rick and the group had found out what had caused it.

Her cousin Leon probably thought it was the government, population control. Her cousin was quite the conspiracy theorist. He never trusted the government. She shrugged it off, trying not to think of her family.

"I am gonna go take a look around next door. Pull yourself together." Charlie told Maggie, cringing as the two hugged each other. It reminded her what she would never have. Daryl.

"Thanks that is really helpful." Glenn said back, watching as Charlie walked out the front door. He let Maggie go and went back to filling his bag.

Charlie started looking around the neighbouring store. It turned out to be a small thrift filled with clothes. There were three walkers, most likely the store assistants and the owner. She took them out and started looking around the place.

She found some warm coats and black leather jacket that looked surprisingly warm. Charlie smiled slightly as she grabbed some shirts that Daryl could wear during the winter months, shoving them into her bag. She looked down at her watch. "Twenty minutes." She said out loud. She knew she should get back to her group.

She hopped the broken window of the store and headed back towards the pharmacy. "Glenn!" Maggie's voice trailed through the thick glass of the pharmacy causing Charlie to stop dead in her tracks. "What the fuck?" She grumbled, peaking around to look through the glass. "No way!" She said smiling as Glenn thrust into Maggie hard against the cashier counter.

She backed away quickly and looked around. Hopefully they would be fast. They had to get back to the farm.

* * *

><p>Daryl sat quietly beside a small burning fire as he looked at the picture of Charlie again. He couldn't help it most days. He hadn't been around for years. He missed her. But now she was so different. All grown up, strong.<p>

"Daryl." Rick said, sitting next to him.

"What?" He said, shoving the photo back in his pocket.

"Just wanted to check in."

* * *

><p><em>They were both fifteen years old and were playing in the fields that were behind Daryl's house, Daryl was chasing after Charlie as the sun began to set. They both had shitty parents who didn't much care where they were or if they came home.<em>

_Charlie fell over, grabbing her stomach as giggles racked through her. "I told ya!" She whined as Daryl landed next to her. "I told ya not to!"_

_"Whatever, it was fun." He laughed back dropping the burnt firecracker next to him._  
><em>Charlie continued to giggle at him as they lay there watching the sun go down over head. Daryl watched the glow over Charlie, giving her blonde hair an orange tint as they simply lay in a peaceful silence.<em>

_"I like this." She said softly. Daryl smiled genuinely as her blonde curls tickled his face as they both watched the birds chirp in the trees._

_"So do I, Charlie." Daryl said with a smile in his voice, he was the only one aside from Otis who called Charlie by her nick name, her parents simply called her Charlene or brat._

_"You'll always be here, won't you?" She asked seriously, she looked at him intently her voice serious as the sun illuminated her freckles._

_"Course I will, I ain't ever gonna leave ya Charlie." He promised her honestly. She was the only one who made him feel more then pain or sadness._

_"Good, because I hate sayin' goodbyes." She said softly, looking over at him. She knew he wasn't much of a toucher so she made the effort to stay away. But she knew it was enough for him, the time they spent together._

_"I don't like sayin' goodbye either Charlie." Daryl said as they simply laid next to each other, watching the sun set over the mountains._


	8. Chapter 8 Broken Hope

Summary: When Daryl defends Charlene from his father's unwanted advances, they are pulled into a painful misunderstanding with the law and Will Dixon. Daryl/OC, Rick/Beth. AU at first but then moves into ZA. Co – Written with alycenwonder. Rated M for violence, language and sexual scenes.

**Special Thanks To: ****Daydreamer123****, Quest, Guest, ****WalkingPotterGirl14****, Kima Wolfwood, jeanf, Caity6991 and ****missy7293****. You people rock. Also a shout out to Hearts1989, I honestly feel something is off about how they did episode 8 and I sincerely hope it was a hoax to make us feel pissed off.**

Carrying On

Chapter 8

* * *

><p>Glenn, Maggie and Charlie arrived back at the farm with time to spare as they handed the supplies over to the other women. The women were in charge of making sure everyone got a little of everything. It worked out well.<p>

Dinner was made by Lori and Carol over the fire. Squirrel. Again. Charlie sighed, she was happy to be eating a hot meal but it got old after a while. But this was life now. You ate the things you didn't want to and you were happy to have eaten at all.

"Guys." Glenn said, clearing his throat.

"What is it Glenn?" Rick asked, placing his fork on his knee.

"There's walkers in the barn." He spat out nervously. Charlie thought the kid needed to learn patience.

Shane seemed to have lost it completely when Glenn mentioned the walkers, jumping up and pinning Glenn to the wall. Everyone stared in shock at Shane's sudden violence but neither Daryl nor Charlie were surprised. The man was a loose cannon. A murderer and a psycho.

"WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN THERE ARE WALKERS IN THE BARN CHINAMAN?!" Shane snarled, enraged as he held Glenn by the throat. There was a deranged look on his face as he snarled at the smaller man.

Glenn was stuttering when Dale tried to help him out. "Now come on Shane, drop him. It isn't Glenn's fault!"

"He thinks they can be cured." Glenn coughed as he was released, "I saw Pat feeding them and when I confronted Maggie she pleaded with me to wait... I just couldn't any longer."

They all abandoned their food as they trudged over to the barn. Carl looked worried as Shane stepped closer to the barn, they could hear growls which only got louder as he got closer. "You cannot tell me you're okay with this." Shane snapped at Rick harshly.

"I'm not… but we're guests here… this isn't our land." Rick replied calmly.

"God! This is our lives man!" Shane yelled back.

"Lower your voice!" Charlie hissed at him.

"We can't just sweep this under the rug!" Lori said flatly. "Carl is in danger. If those things break outta there..."

"Okay." Shane mumbled, "Okay so we either go in there or take those things out or we leave." He told the group as he paced back and forth in front of the barn. "Now we have been talking about Fort Benning for a while and I think..."

"We ain't leavin." Charlie said sternly.

"I ain't done looking for Carol's girl!" Daryl shot back.

"Okay..." He said covering his mouth, "Okay look. Maybe I need to be the bad guy here. She ain't coming back!" He yelled defiantly.

"Shane! We are not leaving Sophia behind." Rick told him.

"I'm close ta findin this girl! I just found her damn doll a day ago!" Daryl said, moving towards Shane angrily.

Shane laughed, "You found her doll Daryl, that's it. A doll."

"MAN YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT THE HELL YOU TALKING ABOUT!" Daryl yelled, flying towards Shane.

"I'm just saying what needs to be said!" Shane yelled. "You think this redneck is gonna be able to find that girl. She is dead!" He snapped, "And let me tell you something else! If she was alive out there and she saw you comin. Decked out in that ear necklace, all methed up you think she wouldn't run?"

"Shut your mouth!" Charlie said angrily as she headed for the man insulting Daryl.

Rick was trying to get his two cents in but Shane would not let him talk.

"Let me tell you something else, man." Shane said over Daryl who was trying to get control his temper. "You're not leader here so why don't you take yourself and your whore girlfriend and get the hell away from my group?"

This made Daryl mad, he tried to pounce forward and everyone quickly jumped in between the two, Charlie quickly wrapped her arms around Daryl. She had to breathe deeply wanting so badly to ruin Shane's stupid face.

"Shane, back off!" Rick yelled angered.

"STOP IT, JUST STOP! WE'RE NOT LEAVING UNTIL WE FIND SOPHIA, SHANE END OF DISCUSSION!" Charlie yelled at Shane, still holding tight to Daryl.

Shane continued to pace angrily in front of the barn as he looked at Rick. Rick just shook his head in complete defeat and exhaustion. "We'll talk about this later." And with Rick's last words, everyone dispersed, even more stressed out than they had been this morning. Shane Walsh had finally cracked.

Daryl pushed Charlie away and stomped back towards his tent.

* * *

><p>Daryl had gotten his crossbow and was now in the stables, fully intent on finding Sophia as Charlie and Carol found him trying to get the saddling gear but he winced in pain.<p>

"Daryl, you're not ready yet." Carol said sadly, "We don't know if we're gonna find her Daryl." Her eyes shifted nervously, "I don't."

Daryl stopped harnessing the large animal and turned to look at her, "What?" He asked her.

"Can't lose you to." She crossed her arms over her chest. She tried hard not to cry but the man was intimidating.

Daryl nodded angrily moving away from her. He couldn't fucking handle this shit any longer. All he did was look for her daughter and all he got was shit in return. He grabbed the first thing he saw, throwing it across the room roughly. He bent over instantly as pained racked through his wound.

"Daryl! Are you alright?" Carol asked, reaching for him.

"JUST LEAVE ME BE!" He yelled, "Stupid Bitch!"

Carol looked at him sadly as she watched him walk away. She found Charlie sitting down outside her tent looking serious as she folded up clothes. "I guess you saw that?" Carol asked.

"He's still worked up from Shane's bullshit." Charlie told her softly and Carol nodded. "He'll calm down."

Carol gave her a weak smile in return before leaving Charlie alone. Charlie could see Daryl waiting for the older woman to leave so that he could get to his tent without interacting with her.

Charlie looked up at him, "It's good you aren't going out there D. You need to heal."

"Whatever." He mumbled, going inside the tent.

* * *

><p>She didn't see Daryl again until later. She figured he needed time to cool off, not taking anything he said personally. But once he did finally emerge they headed together towards Shane.<p>

"What's he doing with the bag of guns?" Charlie asked him worriedly.

"What's goin' on?" Daryl asked him as they approached the man. He thrust a gun into Daryl's hands.

"You gonna do what it takes to protect yours?" Shane asked looking from Daryl to Charlie.

"I didn't think that you all were supposed to be packing heat." Charlie asked Shane.

To be honest Daryl didn't like it but when an unhinged cop hands you a gun and tells you that you need to protect yours. You take the gun because nine out of ten you're going to have to protect yours against the unhinged cop.

"That was before when we thought this place was safe. Now we know it ain't." Shane said offering her a handgun. She refused. "You got yours?" he asked Andrea.

"Yeah but what's going on?" She asked wearily.

"What about you Glenn? You with us?" Shane handed Glenn a gun as well. Glenn took it but anyone could tell it was making him uncomfortable.

"Can you shoot?" Shane asked Maggie.

"Can you stop?" Maggie asked her arms crossed under her breasts, "If you do this, hand out these guns my dad will make you leave tonight."

"We have to stay Shane," Carl said coming off of the porch, the little boy was obviously scared. "I know little man but we gotta get rid of these walkers." Shane said as he strode towards the barn. Lori came over looking alarmed at what was going on.

"What is this? Shane stop!" Lori ordered him. He ignored her as he lead the group towards the barn. As they made their way closer Rick emerged with Hershel and Jimmy. They lead three walkers towards the thing on rods.

"What the hell is this?" Shane growled menacingly. Charlie shivered at the tone, feeling fear run through her.

"Shane back off!" Rick yelled at him firmly as he tried to hold onto the walker that snarled viciously.

"Why do your people have guns?" Hershel asked annoyed as he gripped onto the hook that held a female walker.

Shane raised his gun and shot the walkers one by one, allowing them to fall to the dirt.

"ENOUGH!" Shane yelled. "Risking our lives for a little girl who gone! I for one am DONE!" He moved towards the barn doors.

Hershel dropped to his knees as he watched Shane. Shane pried the chain away and backed up, raising his weapon. The dead began pushing through the opening one by one. Charlie felt horrified as Beth screamed in horror. Charlie watched as the dead began spilling out.

Hell was unleashed upon them as Shane, Glenn, Andrea, T - Dog and Daryl started firing at the walkers. The others watched unable to stop them.

* * *

><p>"STOP IT, JUST STOP SHANE!" Charlie screamed her voice breaking as she saw Daryl shooting too, her eyes stinging.<p>

She ran over, desperate to stop Daryl from shooting. This was just too cruel but she slowed in horror and distress as a familiar Middle aged woman stepped out of the barn. She snatched at the air, growling and snapping her teeth together.

Charlie couldn't move, her heart was pounding as she stared at the woman. "Aunt Beau!" She screamed, her voice cracking as everyone looked up to see Charlie gasping for breath. This wasn't happening. This couldn't be happening she told herself as the woman moved closer and closer to her.

"SOPHIA!" Carol screamed from behind her. Snapping out of it Charlie pulled her machete and swung. Her Aunt's head hitting the dirt with a thud. There behind Beau was small Sophia.

"You knew!" Shane yelled at Hershel. "SHE WAS IN THERE THIS WHOLE TIME!"

Carol sobbed as the others went to console her. Daryl trudged off, saying nothing to Charlie who stood in silence. She couldn't process what the hell had just went down.

* * *

><p>Daryl had moved his tent. Charlie returned to find that hers stood on its own a few feet away from the group's camp. Looking around she saw his new set up not far off in the bushes. "Damn redneck." She mumbled angrily. "Selfish." She was pissed at him. But right now she had to go speak with Hershel about what happened. They needed to figure out just what the hell was going to happen next.<p>

She walked to the house seeing Dale come out looking tired. He looked at her sadly and she wordlessly sat down next to him in silence.

"What a nightmare." Charlie said her voice numb as she tried to ignore the pain of her aunt being dead.

"I'm sorry about your Aunt Charlie." Dale said gently, Charlie nodded as she looked at him with teary eyes.

"Where's Hershel?" She asked wiping her eyes. Dale sighed and pointed to the empty driveway.

"He went to the town bar. Rick and Glenn went after him." Dale told her. "This is all just a huge mess."

* * *

><p>The sun was starting to set when Charlie finally decided Daryl had been given enough time to brood. She headed towards his camp with a vengeance. He sat alone by the fire whittling away at his stupid Bolts. "You and I need to have a little talk." She said sternly, grabbing the bolt right out of his hand. She threw it into the fire and took two steps back.<p>

Daryl was pissed, he pushed himself up out of his chair and closed his knife. "What the hell was that!?"

"You are selfish." She snapped. "That was my Aunt back there today! I killed her and you up and move your shit and say nuthin?" She stuttered, trying to hold in her tears. "And what about Sophia?"

"WHAT ABOUT ER?" He yelled back, throwing his arm out in frustration. "I ain't your parent. I ain't her Daddy neither! Why can't you people just leave me the hell alone?" He began walking towards her slowly.

Charlie backed up, her foot hitting a tree. She couldn't go any further, she was stuck. "All this time." She whispered, a tear finally breaking through her barriers and falling down her cheek. "All this time I waited for you... But this ain't you Daryl."

He saw her tears and stopped, wiping the angry look off his face. "I ain't gone Char." He shook his head. He reached out to her but she winced. It didn't stop his hand from taking hers and pulling her against him roughly. "I ain't gone." He repeated as he leaned in and kissed her.

Charlie felt her eyes burn with tears as she clung to him desperately. She needed his hands on her. His lips moved passionately against hers as her hands slid under his shirt and felt the strong muscles underneath. He didn't stiffen this time, instead allowing her to explore.

Daryl gripped her hips with his hands as he kissed her passionately, he had the woman he loved in his arms and his heart ached. She had lost someone too and he was pushing her away, she thought he didn't want her, that he was gone but he had been so wrong.

"I'm here." He whispered again roughly as he slid a hand along her waist. He ran his long fingers over her toned, smooth stomach as he kissed her harder, pressing her against the tree.

Charlie held onto him tightly, her hands gripping him in return. His pelvis smashing into hers. Heat pooled between her legs. All Charlie wanted was for him to take her there against the tree. She didn't much care that the group would see them.

"Daryl?" Carol's voice rang out, stopping them.

They both broke away from each other as they heard the woman call out. Charlie backed away from Daryl. She realized what had happened was huge but for some reason she was still pissed off. She left Carol and Daryl alone to talk and headed back to camp.

"Thank you, for looking for my baby. I know you and Rick tried to look for her. I'm grateful." Carol said meaning it as she looked at Daryl.

"Weren't nothin'." Daryl said gruffly but he could tell that Carol was grateful as she looked at him and nodded before speaking again.

"You should be with Charlie, she lost someone too." She said softly and left Daryl to decide if he should go to the woman.

She was sitting on a log, her face sad and tears swimming down her face. But he left her alone to process. He knew sometimes that was what she needed.

* * *

><p>The next morning Daryl found Carol rejoining him as he cooked breakfast over his fire.<p>

"What?" He asked roughly.

"Lori went out last night to find Rick... She hasn't come back yet." Carol told him.

Daryl looked at Carol, "Why is that my problem?" He asked her. They always came to him when Rick wasn't around. It was getting annoying.

"I think she might be hurt. She is pregnant and alone Daryl, please..."

Carol was about to continue when she heard the sound of a car engine and they looked to see Shane and Lori coming out of the car silently. "Rick?" Lori called out. "Where's Rick?" She asked worriedly.

"He and Glenn aren't back yet." Andrea told her quietly and Lori whirled round to glare at a devoid looking Shane.

"You lied to me!" She pulled back and slapped him roughly across the face, "YOU LIED!"

"I was thinking of you and the baby, Lori!" Shane yelled angrily and everyone froze, staring back at the man.

The baby wasn't Rick's, it was Shane's. Shane was the dad and if Rick didn't know that Lori was still seeing Shane... They were in deep shit.

"This baby ain't yours! I told you that!" She said exasperated. "I am with Rick, not you!"

"Your havin a baby?" Carl squeaked from behind her.

Lori froze then and quickly took Carl into the house along with the others as Daryl watched. He looked at Charlie before silently going into his tent.

* * *

><p>Charlie felt numb, she had been kissed by Daryl and she had kissed him back. In that moment she had felt happy being kissed by the man she loved and then it shattered, he was pulling away from her again...<p>

She was tired, cold and broken. There was nothing left in the world but death. Seeing Sophia in the barn had shattered whatever hope Charlie had left in the world.

Maybe Andrea hadn't been wrong when she had said there was nothing left, what did she have to fight for now?

Aunt Beau was gone... She had killed her own aunt and it made her feel cold. She didn't want to be alone.

She crawled into her tent and sobbed, she sobbed over her aunt's death, over Sophia and over Daryl.

* * *

><p>Daryl stood beside a car as he, Shane, T - Dog and Andrea were getting ready to look for Glenn, Rick and Hershel as they heard a car pull up and saw a tired looking Hershel come out along with Rick and Glenn. There was someone in the back.<p>

"Patricia get the barn ready for surgery!" Hershel yelled before he hurried into the house to ready his supplies.

"Who is that?" Lori asked nodding towards the young man as both Glenn and Rick exchanged a look.

"That's our hostage." Shane said grimly.

"What do you mean a hostage?" T-Dog asked confused.

"We ran into a bit of trouble at the bar. Randall's men and us. We got into a little... Gunfire battle," Rick said quietly. "The kid fell of a roof and was impaled on a fence. He was screaming and drawing walkers to us. We got him outta there."

Daryl raised an eyebrow at him. "An' what the hell do ya plan on doin' with him now?"

"We're keeping him here until his leg is healed and then letting him go." Rick said calmly in return.

Charlie said nothing, Rick noticed she looked like a ghost. Her eyes had dark shadows under them and her face was pale and damp with tears. Charlie heard them though. She wondered why the hell bringing him back to the farm to fix him had even entered their minds. They should have let him die out there. At least his screaming would have given them a chance to get away.

"So what do we do?" Shane snapped.

"Nothing right this minute," Rick answered with a yawn, needing to sleep more than anything else. "He needs his leg operated on then we'll give him a day or so to recover. After that we'll take it from there."

"So you decided to bring one of them back to the fort for tea?" Shane snapped. "You've endangered us all. You put Lori and the baby in danger."

Rick glared at him. "Shane, I'm not even close to caring about what you have to say right now. We've spent the whole night on the road fighting walkers and people to try and get back here. The boy is unconscious and won't even be able to move for a couple of days."

"Man, come on! Who died and made you boss? You are gonna get all of us killed!" He snapped, storming off.

* * *

><p>Charlie took watch that night, unable to get much sleep. She could deal with her family being dead, that was the world now. You were just going to lose people, tough. But Shane was stressing her the fuck out. She worried he would hurt someone.<p>

"Hey." Rick said softly, joining her. He hadn't been sleeping much either. Charlie wondered if it had to do with Lori. "Thought I would join you tonight." He told her.

"S'fine." She muttered.

"Look... Charlie. I wanted to say thank you. The run you made the other day with Glenn..."

"You mean the run I made for Lori?" She said. She wasn't mad she had just wanted the truth. "It's fine Rick. Honestly I just want to be useful."

Rick nodded studying her quietly, she was fiddling around with her bracelets quietly as they sat in silence.

"You are useful Charlie and I think Beth could use a friend like you, she isn't doing too great." He said mentioning the youngest Greene.

Charlie nodded before swallowing as she wiped her eyes. "I guess I can talk to her. Charlie didn't know the girl well but it wouldn't hurt to try.

"You're lucky you have someone to love. Not all of us do. Or if we do they don't always love us back." He told her.


	9. Chapter 9 No Longer Trust

Summary: When Daryl defends Charlene from his father's unwanted advances, they are pulled into a painful misunderstanding with the law and Will Dixon. Daryl/OC, Rick/Beth. AU at first but then moves into ZA. Co – Written with alycenwonder. Rated M for violence, language and sexual scenes.

**Special Thanks To: ****Daydreamer123****, Quest, Guest, ****WalkingPotterGirl14****, Kima Wolfwood, jeanf and ****missy7293****. You people rock. Please Read alycenwonder's story, A Walk In The Dark.**

Carrying On

Chapter 9

* * *

><p><strong>2 days later:<br>**  
>Daryl hadn't been sleeping easy since the incident with Charlie. He had a hard enough time already keeping his hands where they belonged. Now that he felt her lips on his and her soft tight skin he couldn't stop his mind from wandering...<p>

"Daryl!" Rick called out to him, knocking his mind off the beautiful woman he was sure he didn't deserve.

"What?" He barked back, fixing the stiffness in his jeans.

"I need you to do me a favor. I need you to ask the prisoner a few questions."

"Alright I'll do it." Daryl said nodding as he grabbed his jacket. He pushed the barn door open and looked down at the boy who was chained up against the wall.

"We're gonna have a little talk." Of course Rick had meant torture, Daryl knew that. So did the kid.

Daryl paced the barn like a caged tiger his steely blue eyes staring at Randall. "Get information." Rick had told Daryl. That was what he planned on doing. No one hurt his people. Anger spewed from Daryl as his fist made contact with Randall's face a sickening crack of bone was heard as Randall hit the floor. Daryl landed another punch and then another, this time harder.

Daryl felt his fists starting to hurt but he didn't care this boy was going to give up his secrets.

Randall spat out some blood on the dirty barn floor. "I told you. PLEASE!"

He whimpered his eyes were swollen and his nose was spewing blood it felt like it'd been severely broken.

"How many of you are there? What do you want?" Daryl repeated again. The kid would have it easier if he would just give Daryl the right answer. Daryl had been at it for an hour and still the kid held on. He raised his boot this time about to kick the kid good in the face.

The boy sputtered, holding his hand out to Daryl, "Okay! Please just stop. I'll tell ya!"

"How many?!" Daryl asked again, more forcefully this time. He crouched down to place the knife at the end of the wound on Randall's leg, just at the beginning of the scab that had started to form.

"Thirty," Randall choked out in terror. "Around thirty or so."

"Where?" Daryl asked, pressing the knife a little harder against his wound.

"I don't know! I swear! Never in one place any longer than a night," Randall said quickly, he didn't know where they were now. They had left him on that fence and moved on, without a second thought for him. "They left me! I'm trying to co-operate!"

Daryl wasn't buying it and hit him again as hard as he could in the jaw. Randall to spat out a tooth that had broken. "OK! Come on, man! They have weapons. Heavy stuff, automatics. But I didn't do anything!"

Daryl was back in Randall's face. "Yer boys shot at my boys! Tried to take this farm! Ya just went along for the ride, tryin to tell me you're innocent?" Daryl's spittle hit Randall's face again.

"Yes." Randall cried out. "These people took me in not just guys a whole group of them." Daryl got to his feet knowing that Randall was about to give away everything. "Men and women, uh kids to just like you people." Daryl was now slowly pacing listening. "I thought I'd have a better chance with them you know." Randall gulped.

"But we'd go out scavenge just the men." Randall licked his dry lips his breath quickened. He turned his back to the boy. "One night we found this little camp site man and his two daughters. Teenagers they were young and real cute." Daryl turned slowly towards Randall not liking his tone of voice. "My friends, if they come back here... You're men will be dead and your women will wish they were... Please!"

"But I didn't touch those girls! I swear! I wasn't part of it."

Daryl had to stop himself from hurting the boy further as he backed away. He wouldn't let anything like that happen to Charlie or any of the others.

"You gotta believe me," Randall cried as Daryl backed away in silence... "I'm not like that. Please, you gotta believe me!"

When he finally thought it was enough Daryl made his way out of the barn and towards the camp. Everyone looked up at him. He noticed Charlie look at him. Rick's eyes seemed to be searching for answers. "Got a gang of about thirty men, heavy artillery and they ain't looking to make friends," Daryl explained, noticing the worry on everyone's faces. "They roll through here, our boys are dead. And our women... are gonna wish they were."

"What did you do to him?" Carol asked, looking at Daryl's bloodied and bruised knuckles.

"What had to be done." Charlie answered for him, "We should get ya cleaned up."

Daryl nodded as Charlie led him to her tent where she gestured for him to sit down in a fold up chair. She got a small bowl and poured water into it. She then sat down and started tending to his sore, red, bruised knuckles.

He watched her quietly as she bathed his hands and then rubbed some ointment cream on the skin, it hurt but at least they wouldn't get infected as she wrapped a bandage on bot of his knuckles.

"Come to me later and I'll change them." She said softly.

"Char..." He said, hoping to say something about the other night.

"Look. Daryl its fine I get it okay? This world ain't easy anymore. Neither is this." She motioned between them, "You and I... We ain't easy."

"I know... I just never thought we would end up here. You were meant to get ya dream job and marry someone good. Have kids..."

"The man I loved was in prison Daryl." She sighed. She knew she admitted she loved him but she shrugged it off for now. There were so many other things going on. "You pushed me away and here we are."

He watched as she climbed up off her knees and left him alone in the tent. He wasn't sure where she was headed but he knew one thing for sure. She loved him.

* * *

><p>Charlie had gone to check on Beth. She knocked on the door gently as she heard Beth tell her to come in and she opened the door softly. Charlie found her looking slightly better.<p>

"Hey Beth."

"Hey Char." The small pale girl said back to her.

Charlie sat down in a chair next to her giving Beth a kind smile and pulling her cardigan around her tightly. It might be hot out during the day but the nights were getting colder.

"How are you feeling?" Charlie asked gently.

"Better." Beth admitted and it was the truth. She felt better after talking to her dad and Maggie.

"How are your wrists?" Charlie asked gently nodding at the bandages that Beth had wrapped around her wrists.

"Still a little sore, but dad stitched them up." Beth said looking down. "I feel so ashamed," she added quietly, so only Charlie would hear.

"Don't be." Charlie replied softly. "I know what you're going through. My aunt was in that barn also. Hurt me too."

"It ain't just that... I just don't see a place here for me. I am so weak ya know?" She asked, her big eyes staring back at Charlie.

"There is a place for you. There is a place for all of us." Charlie was glad Hershel had changed his mind about the group staying. They were all a big group now.

Beth was thoughtful as she looked at Charlie as she nodded in return. Charlie settled in as the two began to chat about every day things. It seemed to cheer Beth up.

* * *

><p>Charlie smiled as she saw Daryl cutting wood from the window. Beth sat snoring behind her. As she watched him she felt a little more at home. Even if their relationship was uncertain. At least they had each other alive and well and maybe even a little bit safe.<p>

She sighed, heading downstairs. "What do you mean he is gone? How did he get out!?" Rick said angrily as Shane told him about Randall.

She froze then as she realised that Randall was missing and was out there somewhere watching them. Her blood ran cold as the others hurried into the house looking confused as they saw SHANE wipe blood off his nose with his right hand.

"He got out of his cuffs and knocked me out, took my gun." Shane told Glenn and Rick.

"Everyone grab their stuff and bring it inside!" He ordered as they all hurried to bring their things into the house.

Charlie quickly packed up her things and her tent before hurrying back to the house when she saw Daryl beside her. "Randall is gone." She informed him.

"I want you and Glenn out there tracking him." Rick said, interrupting her.

"Just let me take Charlie back to back to the house." Daryl said gruffly and Rick nodded as Daryl walked Charlie to the house where Carol and Beth were.

"Stay in the house, lock the doors and windows." Daryl told her and they nodded before Charlie looked at him.

She watched as they disappeared into the dark woods. She only hoped they wouldn't get lost. She bit her lip before going into the house with Carol and Beth.

* * *

><p>Daryl and Glenn quietly tracked Randall, Daryl frowned as he looked at the tracks, something had happened.<p>

"Somethin' went down here." He said quietly to Glenn who nodded as they continued to look around.

Glenn shone his flashlight around and it landed on a tree with blood smears.

"Hello trouble." Daryl said grimly as they heard a twig snap and they both hid behind a tree.

Randall came stumbled through their view, growling. Daryl saw right away he had no sign of a walker bite. How the hell had all this happened? He shot his bow, hitting Randall in the head. He then looked a little closer.

"Shane lied." He grumbled, "Why would he do that?"

"Maybe to get rid of Rick, things haven't been right between them since Lori slept with Shane." Glenn offered and Daryl nodded as they went back to the house.

* * *

><p>Everyone sat in a tense silence in the living room of the Greene home when Andrea got up from her chair just as they heard a gunshot echo around the farm.<p>

"What was that?" Beth asked worriedly.

"Someone fired a gun." Charlie said trying not to worry about Daryl but God she was.

Charlie ran out onto the porch seeing her worst nightmare. At least a hundred walkers braking through the fence as Rick and Carl ran towards the house. "CARS!" Rick yelled loudly.

There was no way the group could last inside the flimsy farm house against that many. They would mow the thing down. "CARS NOW!"

Everyone started running. Beth thought of the horses that were trapped in the stables, without thinking she grabbed a pistol and ran towards them, releasing the horses so they could escape the walkers. The horses galloped away from the hungry demons as she heard a snarl and saw a walker stumble towards her.

She fired the pistol at it, her aim was slightly off but god she had hit it in the head. It crumpled to the ground at her feet. She exhaled deeply.

"Beth!" Rick yelled seeing her. He grabbed her arm and led her towards his vehicle.

* * *

><p>Charlie cut her way through the walkers as she saw Beth get to safety. She saw Carol, Lori and T-Dog drive off as she started running when she heard the roar of a motorcycle nearby.<p>

She looked to see Daryl driving towards her as he fired his pistol at walkers.

"Ain't got all day, get on!" She listened, hopping onto Merle's bike.

* * *

><p>The drive towards the highway was long. She wondered who had made it out alive. "You think Beth is alright?" She spoke up over the roar of the bike.<p>

"I saw her leave with Rick and Carl, she made it. I didn't see Dale or Andrea though." Daryl told her as they reached the highway seeing Rick, Beth and Carl were there with the others aside from Andrea and Dale.

"No Dale or Andrea?" Rick asked and Daryl shook his head. Charlie saw Patricia and hugged her tightly, Patricia hugged her back as Beth joined the embrace.

"Where do we go now?" Lori asked shivering.

"We need to get off this highway." Rick said quickly. Staying there would be dangerous.

"We need to go back and find the others!" Carol cried.

"They could be anywhere by now." T-Dog said tiredly as he rubbed his face. They all sighed heavily as Lori noticed Shane was nowhere in sight and swallowed before looking at Rick.

"Where's Shane?" She asked worried.

"Dead." Rick said with no emotion in his voice as he thought of his best friend that had tried to kill him. The man deserved what he got and that bothered Rick. The world changed people.

"What do you mean dead?" Lori asked him.

"He tried to hurt Dad." Carl said quietly. "Dad had to..."

"Look we don't have time for this. That herd isn't far off. We need to get moving."

Everyone nodded as they started to get into vehicles and drove away from the sign they had made for Sophia so many days ago. They drove away from the highway.

Charlie held onto Daryl tightly as they rode on his bike. It was getting dark and they needed to find somewhere.

* * *

><p>They found a bed and breakfast not far down a private road, hidden behind a dense forest driveway. "This is a good place to stop for the night." Rick said. He was exhausted and hurt... He just wanted to forget all this. His wife sleeping with his best friend. His best friend trying to kill him, twice.<p>

After parking the cars from view in case stranger's showed up, they headed inside the bed and breakfast. Charlie walked alongside Daryl quietly entering the motel and looking around. There weren't any walkers. The whole place smelt musty. Beth turned on the tap, water sprayed out and Charlie smiled faintly. A well.

"There must be a well that is linked to the motel." Hershel said thoughtfully as they looked around. They could only hope nothing had crawled down into it.

"Alright we'll have rooms on the first floor so we're not too far away." Rick directed them.

Charlie didn't know why but she felt empty, as if all the fight had gone out of her. She quietly opened the door and looked around the room Rick had given her. She needed a good night's sleep, she was sure that would make her feel better.

She sat down on the bed sighing. She wondered if feeling numb was normal now? Is that how Carol felt? She chastised herself a little. Everyone else had lost so much more than she had. She had to buck up, get stronger. She had to protect her group.

* * *

><p>Daryl sat quietly in his room next door. He wondered why Rick had been asking him so many damn questions lately. With Shane gone it was as if Rick was trusting Daryl to be his confidant. His mind wandered as he thought of Charlie, the way her lips felt against his. He felt like an idiot for waiting that long. But the thought of anyone really seeing him was scary.<p>

He lay back against the pillows and pushed everything out of his mind. Maybe tomorrow they would get lucky out there. Maybe they wouldn't lose anyone else. Daryl had to admit that the group had begun to grow on him. And without Shane stirring things up it would be easier for everyone.

"We can't stay here." Rick whispered to Daryl. The redneck had been noticing Rick's lack of sleep lately and began to worry. But you couldn't force sleep on someone, could you? "We need to find a more permanent option. Something we can defend if we have to. We won't be able to survive on scavenged food forever... It will run out eventually."

"Maybe we should head out, find something." Daryl grunted. He had to admit, it felt good that Rick wanted his help. If he had a say in things then he could better protect his family.

"We make a run today, see how far we can get safely." Rick suggested. "You and Glenn... Take the truck." The dwindling supplies meant less gas. Less gas meant one last road trip. "I want the rest to stay here. We need to clear this place out, get all we can."

Everyone seemed exhausted. Daryl wanted them to be able to relax. At least as much as you could these days.

"Goin' on a run with Glenn, ya need anythin?" Daryl asked Charlie.

Charlie swallowed as she looked at him. "Yeah, some winter coats." She said, twiddling her thumbs. She wasn't sure what else there was to say.

"Okay." He said gruffly. He left her alone to keep watch. Glenn met him at the truck and they headed out for an unknown location.

Charlie watched him go, not knowing what do. She continued scrubbing shirts and felt her hands get sore as Beth started to help her and they started doing it in an easy silence.

"How are you doing?" Charlie asked softly as she looked at the younger girl.

"Okay, I miss the Farm." Beth said wiping her eyes. "And Jimmy I guess..."

Charlie smiled sadly, she had heard they were dating. "Well, you're still young. There is always time." Whatever that meant. These days you had what you had. Nothing more.

"You love Daryl, don't you?" Beth asked softly. Charlie looked away for a minute as her head bowed low in sadness.

"It hurts loving someone when you don't know if they love you back. It makes you feel lost and hopeless." Charlie said sadly.

Beth felt sad.

"Did he know you love him?" Charlie asked Beth.

"That's the thing..." Beth said sadly, "I didn't."

"I'm sorry Beth." Charlie said gently. Beth nodded in thanks as they finished doing the laundry and began hanging it up on the clothes line to dry.

Charlie absently trailed her hands over one of Daryl's shirts, she didn't regret the kiss even if he did.

She blinked away tears.

* * *

><p>Daryl and Glenn drove along the highway wearily. If they could just get one break... Just one.<p>

They soon found what looked like an abandoned Walmart as they stopped and pulled up as they surveyed the area.

The place was empty and deserted, bodies littered the place along with abandoned cars and Daryl saw there were toys scattered around the cars.

Kids had been here, clearly preparing to evacuate. "We can't risk it. I bet it's crawling with dead." Glenn said to Daryl. But their gas had run out... "What about that." Glenn asked, pointing to a sign. "Prison."

"Could be a good hour or two on foot." Daryl grumbled, "We wouldn't make it back by nightfall." They wouldn't make it back for at least a day.

"But if it's empty... That could be our place." Glenn said back. The man always seemed full of hope. Daryl wasn't sure where he got it.

"I say we tell Rick. For now we search for gas." Daryl told his friend. It was their best option right now.

Glenn sighed, agreeing. They spent three hours scouring the area for gas with the small Jerri can. Finally when Daryl was sure they had enough they headed back out to see if there was any other place they could stay. Winter would be on them soon and they needed it badly.

"What about that place?" He Glenn asked Daryl. He followed his gaze and saw a small red storage building, he eyed it thoughtfully. "Those containers can be locked can't they?"

"Could be stuff in there, let's take a look." Daryl said, pulling into the parking lot. This was their last option. They had just enough gas to get back to the bed and breakfast...

Starting looking around, the building looked secure. Daryl couldn't see any walkers as Glenn peered through the dusty windows of the building. "It seems safe enough." Glenn muttered. "But I can't see in the courtyard. The containers may have walkers."

"We won't need the building... The containers are safer." Daryl said as Glenn nodded in return. "If we can jimmy the lock to the fence around back... We can clear the area."


	10. Chapter 10 Fear The Living

Summary: When Daryl defends Charlene from his father's unwanted advances, they are pulled into a painful misunderstanding with the law and Will Dixon. Daryl/OC, Rick/Beth. AU at first but then moves into ZA. Co – Written with alycenwonder. Rated M for violence, language and sexual scenes.

**Special Thanks To: ****Daydreamer123****, Quest, Guest, ****WalkingPotterGirl14****, Kima Wolfwood, jeanf and ****missy7293****. You people rock. Read alycenwonder's story, A Walk In The Dark.**

**Warning: This chapter has rape and mentions of past attempted rape.**

Carrying On

Chapter 10

* * *

><p>Charlie heard the roar of the small Ford truck, pulling into the bed and breakfast driveway. Her and the others had cleared the place out and had been hoping the two men would return soon. But she didn't rush outside to greet them, instead she took her time packing up her things.<p>

"Find anything?" Rick asked Daryl.

"Yah, a small storage facility bout an hour away. We could get there before the sun goes down."

Rick sighed in relief as the others started to come outside and load up the truck.

Daryl saw Charlie packing her things into the small Ford, she was struggling with a bag. Daryl walked over to help her, he gently took it out of her hands and shoved it into the back with the rest of the stuff.

Charlie looked up at him, raising her brow. "Thanks."

He wanted to say something to her, to talk to her but his mouth couldn't form words. "Daryl? We need to get going." Rick said interrupting the two. He left her to climb into the back of the cab with the others. One truck was all they had, but they made it work.

Daryl got on his bike as they started to drive back to the storage unit. It was a calm quiet ride... And he wondered if this place would be safe for them. Once it began snowing they wouldn't be able to move around too much. This would have to be it.

"Looks okay." Rick said as the group jumped out of the Ford. "We need to make sure it will be warm enough."

There were gas heaters and useable sinks. It was a large open cement court yard with large metal storage boxes. Each one sat next to each other and some stacked up high.

Charlie had found thick warm blankets in the B&B and brought them along. Hopefully they could stay warm enough to make it through the winter here.

"There's vending machines!" Maggie told them as she came back with Lori.

"That's helpful." Charlie said with a small smile as she continued to look through the boxes and found a bottle of Scottish whiskey, it would be good for medical purposes. She placed it in her medical bag as Patricia helped out.

"Well, there aren't any showers. But if we leave buckets out hopefully we can catch some rain or snow." Lori said. Everyone sighed, fed up with the end of civilization. But a shower these days was a luxury.

"There's a fuckin' stream behind the storage unit, we can use that." Daryl said flatly and Lori sneered at him.

"Oh." Lori said, looking away from him. She didn't know why he had been talking with her husband so much lately and frankly it was pissing her off.

Rick hadn't talked to her since Shane died. He was upset with her. She had not only slept with his best friend but had also lied about it. Rick felt that the group's needs were far more important than hers at the moment.

It angered her that Rick seemed to be kissing Daryl's ass when he should be looking after her and their unborn child. Shane treated her like a goddess. She scowled at Rick before huffing, leaving them behind to sort clothes by herself.

"It isn't The Four Seasons, but it'll do for now." Rick said to Daryl.

* * *

><p>The next few days were spent gathering as many things from the surrounding area as they could. Soon the frost would set in and they would become stuck. But even with what they had found Rick worried there wasn't enough to make it.<p>

"Lori needs more rations." Charlie said to Rick. A few of the group members had begun to meet daily with the officer to go over the day. Glenn, T-Dog, Charlie and Daryl. "The baby won't make it if she keeps starving herself."

Lori had been nothing but nauseous since they left the farm. She hated this place and she hated the meat that Daryl brought back. The smell made her want to vomit. Most days she did.

Rick sighed heavily, Lori was being incredibly difficult with almost half of the group, Beth, Charlie, him and Daryl. What could he do? All Charlie did these days was try to help Lori. But the woman was making it hard.

"Is there any way we can re ration?" Rick asked Glenn trying to stay calm.

"We are already stretching it too thin." Glenn told him looking tired and Rick sighed. They would all starve if they did it.

"Maybe we could find her something for the nausea?" Carol asked from behind the small circle. "When I was pregnant with Sophia I took gravol... It isn't recommended but I think the alternative is worse don't you?"

"Would we be able to find some?" Rick asked worriedly.

"They might have some kind of alternative at that small veterinary office... We passed it on our way here. If you can get me in Daryl I can find it." Charlie said softly.

"Alright, you and Daryl can go on a run to get it." Rick said sighing as he rubbed his face tiredly. He had still been avoiding sleep. Charlie dressed warmly putting on her black gloves, a purple scarf that Beth had found for her and a new pair of black jeans.

Daryl seemed to have similar thoughts. He was outside waiting for her wearing a black leather jacket with a poncho over it, and his leather fingerless gloves. Carol had given him the thing and he felt silly wearing it.

Charlie hopped on the back of his bike and they headed for the small animal clinic.

* * *

><p>Daryl pulled into the alley behind the small building, avoiding the dead that stumbled along the main street out front. "Use this." He said, handing over a crowbar.<p>

Charlie took and pried the door open. It didn't take her very long to find what she had been looking for. "Here." She said, shoving a few bottles into Daryl's bag. "These are for Lori." Then she turned back to the cabinet and started moving bottles around.

"What else you think we need?" He asked, noticing the antibiotics she shoved in.

"Something for Rick. He hasn't slept in almost a week... If he keeps it up it won't be good for any of us." She mumbled, finding what she had been looking for. "Here." She said, handing it over. "This should knock him out for a few hours."

Charlie grabbed some bandages, thread and gauze and a few other things, shoving them into her own bag.

"Rick ain't havin' it easy." Daryl said quietly and Charlie nodded in agreement. She stopped a moment and took a look around. There weren't any weird smells or cages with dead animals... She smiled to herself. People had saved their animals.

"So, ya feelin okay lately?" He asked her, knocking her out of whatever she was thinking about. He hadn't seen her smile in a while...

"Yeah. I just wish I wasn't so worried about winter." She pulled her sweater tighter to her body. "It seems like we can't catch a break, ya know?"

"We have the storage facility." He said, knowing it wasn't enough. He wished he could offer her more...

She knew his knuckles were still bothering him, still not having healed from his run in with Randall. He had done quite the number on them. "Let me look at them." She said, reaching for his hand. He did what he was told, watching her as she looked them over.

"Ain't nuthin."

She ran her finger tips over the scaring. "What you did was important D." She said softly. "I hope you know that."

"I did it for you." His voice was almost a whisper, but she heard him. Looking up she wondered what to say.

Instead of saying anything she laced her hand in his and looked at them entwined together. Then she looked up at him. "Thank you."

"Ya don't need to thank me, I'd do anythin' for ya." Daryl said quietly as he looked at her small fragile hands. They were rough from working the farm and he thought maybe even her machete.

"I know you would. I cost you six years of your life." Charlie said quietly as she looked at his rough hands, he had tattoos on them, she recognized the star tattoo and traced it gently. "So thank you."

The other star tattoo was a prison tattoo, Charlie knew from seeing her father's prison tattoo's as a young girl.

"I don't like hurtin' ya." His eyes were pained as he glared back at her. She reached up and touched his face gently. Then, standing up on her toes she kissed him.

Daryl was shocked, but his hands fell to her hips as he pulled her closer. He kissed her right back. And when she seemed done, they moved away from each other, touching foreheads.

"Best man I know." She said, a small smile tracing her lips as she looked back at him. "No one better."

He grumbled, pulling away. "We best get back on the road. We can't have Rick sending Glenn after us." But Charlie smiled to herself. She knew he was embarrassed by her words. But she meant them.

Daryl and Charlie headed out of the clinic getting back on the bike with the supplies safely in a rucksack that was across Charlie's back. They drove back to the storage unit.

Charlie felt Daryl's hair against her face but found it comforting. She held onto him and smiled contently as the winter sun shone over them through the dark clouds. They weren't over any large hurdles yet but at least they could have one or two nice moments.

* * *

><p>"You found them?" Rick asked as Charlie climbed off the bike.<p>

"Yeah we found them, give one to her every day an hour before breakfast." Charlie said handing him the bottle. Rick quickly took it as he hurried into the unit where Lori was. Charlie felt shitty for him. He clearly did love Lori but felt betrayed she had hurt him by constantly... Maybe marriage at the end of the world wasn't always valid?

"Where is Glenn and Maggie?" Charlie asked, not seeing the two.

"They went on a run, Carol's with them. Thought they might be able to find some food in the suburbs outside of town." Rick said. "They should be back soon." But Charlie wasn't so sure. She knew Glenn was smart and watched the skies. It was almost dark...

* * *

><p>Things were getting tense, Glenn Maggie and Carol had all stopped in a small white house off the main road to look for supplies.<p>

Glenn kept guard while Carol and Maggie went inside to search the kitchen. It took Carol ten minutes before she noticed a middle aged man with dark brown hair and cold grey eyes glaring at her from the kitchen table. How long had he been sitting there?

"Lookie here, we got ourselves a pretty lady!" He called out as five men came out from the basement. Carol tried to stay calm as two of his men took hold of her. They carefully removed her from the house, leaving the China man and Farm girl behind.

"C'mon sugar, we're gonna show ya a good time." The man said smirking as he shoved her into a car and tied her hands together with rope.

Carol didn't know how many roads over they had driven from the small white house Glenn and Maggie were at, but she couldn't help wonder.

They took her inside and it grew abundantly clear of their plans for her.

Her sweater was ripped off first, she tried to fight but her hands were tied. One of the men punched her hard across the face, causing her to fall back onto the wooden floor. He then kneeled down and cut her bra off with his knife, cupping her breasts roughly. He squeezed them hard causing her to scream in pain as her jeans were yanked off.

She was terrified.

The men were cheering and calling out suggestions as someone put a piece of cloth in her mouth so she was gagged. She was them lifted up and slammed onto a table, her hands put out in front as the man pressed himself against her ass and without warning, yanked her panties of. "It won't take long love. We've been alone a long time." The man whispered before ripping into Carol.

Carol whimpered as the table began to creak under the pressure as the man cruelly placed two fingers against her clit and pinched harshly.

Carol sobbed in pain. But she knew to stay as quiet as possible, it would end faster that way. At least that had always been the way with Ed.

He rolled her nipples roughly as another man started licking them, she cringed as he bit down, groaning in pleasure.

She wanted Sophia and God she just wanted to die.

* * *

><p>"They ain't back yet. We gotta go after em." Daryl said, worried. "We can't just sit around here." Where the hell were Glenn, Maggie and Carol?<p>

"They should be back." Charlie said worried as she wrapped an arm around Beth in comfort.

"They're back but Carol's missing!" Hershel said worriedly, joining the group. They all froze as Maggie and Glenn came in looking tired.

"Someone's been watching us." Glenn sighed. "We couldn't have been there more than an hour. She was just gone."

"Any sign of a struggle?" Charlie asked. She knew Carol hadn't been feeling too great after the death of her daughter and wondered if she just wandered off... On purpose.

"We saw a grey beater car peel out of the driveway. But by the time we got into our own she was gone." Who would take Carol?

"We gotta look for her." Daryl said grabbing a flash light. Charlie and Rick went outside to look for clues when Charlie saw footprints outside the fence, someone had been spying on them all right.

Charlie suddenly felt afraid. Who the hell would be watching them?

"There's footprints here." She said trying to stay calm as Daryl approached. "And there." Her hand shook as she pointed to the dark woods in front of them.

"Ya stay put. Keep your gun handy. Stay hidden..." Daryl said, anger showing on his features. "Rick and I will follow em."

Charlie nodded, she knew it would be best to keep hidden. She hurried back into the unit as Glenn bolted the gates shut. Rick and Daryl headed off into the forest in search of Carol.

"Charlie are you alright?" Patricia asked worriedly, her niece had turned pale and she realised why. That was the thing about the storage facility, all that stood between you and whatever was on the other side was just a small wire fence. Nothing more.

"Willard." She stuttered, getting to her feet.

"Charlie? Daryl? Come out come out wherever you are." The man sang loudly as he fiddled with the locked gate.

She wanted Daryl here with her as she slammed her hands over her ears in a desperate attempt to block out the man's voice as he taunted her through the gates.

Her nightmare was alive. He was here.

* * *

><p>Daryl and Rick followed the tracks finding a house in the woods with the grey car that Glenn and Maggie had seen driving away from the store. Hearing screaming from the house the two men peered through the windows.<p>

Lying tied up and on her stomach was Carol. She had tears running down her face as she lay still, unmoving.

Daryl kicked down the door hurrying towards Carol and Rick wrapped a blanket around her. Daryl checked for any people and saw how frail Carol looked. There were bruises on her face and her hands were cuffed.

"Carol, Carol can you hear me?" Rick asked urgently.

Carol whimpered.

"Jesus what happened?" Rick asked concerned. He picked her up and carried her outside to where the car was and Daryl started hot wiring the engine. They quickly got inside and started the car.

"They're heading for the storage unit. They know where we were and they've been following us." Carol managed to whisper through the blood loss. Daryl stepped on the pedal.

He hoped to Christ that Charlie was okay. They drove towards the storage unit where they saw Glenn waiting. He quickly helped them inside.

* * *

><p>Charlie sat with a gun in her hands, tapping it up and down on her knee. And there to Daryl's dismay sat his father, Willard Dixon.<p>

As soon as she saw Daryl, it was like he broke the spell and she quickly got up, walking towards him. They placed Carol on one of the mattresses, leaving Hershel to look over her wounds.

"Daryl." Charlie said, taking his arm. She lead him outside to a spot they could not be overheard. "How is this possible?" She asked him. "How out of all the death could Will Dixon survive? And how did he even find us?"

"I'll kill him." Daryl seethed, moving to head back towards the man who had raped Carol. Charlie reached out, grabbing hold of his arm, "Let me go." He said coldly, looking back at her.

"I ain't sayin no D. In fact I wouldn't mind killin the man myself. But we need to know where the rest of his men are."

Daryl felt his blood run cold at the thought of there being men who were a part of Will's group, he nodded at her as he stormed back towards Will. His father already had a black eye and busted lip courtesy of Charlie.

"Well look who it is? Darylina and his little whore." Will sneered, as glaring at them.

Without waiting Daryl punched him, Will spat out blood, laughing in return. He had been waiting for this.

"Where's the rest of yer fuckin' group, ya son of a bitch?" Daryl growled menacingly, kicking his father's chair over roughly. It hit the floor with Will Dixon still inside of it. You could hear his face crack on the hard concrete below. "It's fine, even if you don't tell us you know I will find em. Kill em." Daryl said. He could feel the group glaring at him. But he shrugged it off. They didn't know just how evil this man truly was.

Daryl unleashed his fury on the man as the others watched in shock. Daryl brutally beat him, one shot after another while Will was down.

"Daryl maybe we need to talk about this?" Hershel said quietly. But Rick's hand went out, stopping him. What he had done to Carol was unforgivable. In Rick's opinion, the man deserved what he got.

Will was bruised and bloodied by the time Daryl was finished with him. Will's chest was hurting like hell as he glared back at Daryl. He smirked through the pain, knowing that he would die.

"Miss me sugar? I missed you?" He groaned, smiling up at her. Charlie didn't wait for Daryl's boot to hit the man again, she raised her weapon and took the kill shot. Straight to the head.

The group was silent, no one saying anything. They were all in shock. As Daryl began dragging his father's body away Glenn and Rick went outside to talk.

"Tell me that in there was justified." Glenn said, his face stern as he pointed to the blood soaked metal cube.

"They gang raped Carol." Rick said, shifting on his feet. It was a habit for the man, when he was upset or nervous. "They beat her and left her tied to a table. I can only imagine the hell Daryl was put through not to mention Charlie. That in there... Was justified."

"We need to tell the others. They need to understand." Glenn agreed, worried that they would question Rick's judgment. "And then I think it would be best if we locked this place down. Frost is sticking, we can't live in fear of snow, walkers and that man's group."

Charlie went to help Daryl take care of Will's body. Rick went back inside where the others were to talk it over with them. Rick saw a pool of blood from where Charlie had shot and killed Will.

"Please tell me that you are kicking Daryl and Charlie out of the group after what he did, Rick?!" Lori hissed angrily.

"Will wasn't a good man. They did what they had to... I won't go into detail out of respect for them but yes I think it was justified Lori, and I don't give a fuck if you assume otherwise." Rick growled. Lori went white as she looked at him in disbelief, shocked that he was disregarding her opinion. She wanted to know why they were getting away with this.

"I agree with Rick, Daryl did what he had to after what Will did to Carol..." Beth said confidently, "I think we all need to move on from it."

"Beth is right." Carol choked out, "That man... Was despicable."

* * *

><p>The next month was hard. The group was low on food, most days not eating anything at all. The cold only worsened and with it snow fell and wind blew.<p>

Charlie tended to Carol as she recovered from her injuries. She taught Beth how to fix broken ribs, tend to stitches and other various injuries with the limited resources they had at the storage unit.

They were tired and hungry, they had to use the fuel sparingly in case they had to run. Everyone was exhausted, even Charlie who was checking Lori over and going over her medical history.

"I had pre-eclampsia when I was pregnant with Carl and I had a c - section." Lori admitted grudgingly. Why the damn woman hadn't told her sooner... Charlie hated Lori.

Charlie suddenly felt worried although she didn't show it, if Lori had a c - section with Carl. The chances were that she would need one with the baby that she was having this time around. They sure as hell couldn't do it in the self-storage. They would need a better, cleaner and dryer place to call home.


	11. Chapter 11 Winter

Summary: When Daryl defends Charlene from his father's unwanted advances, they are pulled into a painful misunderstanding with the law and Will Dixon. Daryl/OC, Rick/Beth. AU at first but then moves into ZA. Co – Written with alycenwonder. Rated M for violence, language and sexual scenes.

**Special Thanks To: ****Daydreamer123****, Quest, Guest, ****WalkingPotterGirl14****, Kima Wolfwood, jeanf and ****missy7293****. You people rock. Read alycenwonder's story, A Walk In The Dark.**

**Warning: This chapter has small lemons.**

Carrying On

Chapter 11

* * *

><p><strong><span>Five months later:<span>  
><strong>  
>Winter was in full swing, snow fell all around the small group as the huddled under a small storage unit. A fire was lit just outside as they all tried to stay warm. But it was useless. They were out of food. They were out of patience and Lori was going to give birth any time during the next month. They couldn't raise a child in these conditions.<p>

"We need to leave. We've been talking about for a while now but I think we need to just do it." Charlie told Rick.

"Where would we go?" Glenn asked, "We have barely any fuel and only one vehicle. Even if we all pile in and drive there is no guarantee that we would find a place. We could end up stuck out there."

"We are starving Glenn." Carol reminded him. "If we stay we will die."

"If we go we could die!" He fought back. It wasn't Glenn's normal attitude but tensions were high. We were hungry.

"What about the prison?" Daryl asked, reminding Glenn of their find all those months back. "We talked about it. Maybe that would be a better option. Could be food there, water. Fences."

"That could work but we're not doing too great on ammo if y'all haven't noticed." Maggie says tiredly as she looked around. The group agreed, but what other option did they have? It was either stay and starve or risk going to the prison.

"We'll go to the prison." Rick said finally. They started to gather their things. It wasn't much, they each had a bag or two. But as time went on their clothing deteriorated. You just couldn't afford to carry a closet around with you.

Beth helped her pack away the few medical supplies they had and with Carol's help, they managed to make it as they all got into the truck. The days were getting warmer but it wasn't hot yet. Charlie shivered.

She was wearing a black leather jacket, a pair of black jeans. She had on a purple scarf and black gloves. Daryl pulled off his poncho and handed it to her hoping she would warm up.

"Thanks." Charlie said softly, Daryl nodded at her as he climbed onto his bike. The group drove out to the prison, taking down each sign they passed by on the way. If they did decided to stay they hoped by taking them down it would give them a little more safety.

They needed a miracle.

* * *

><p>Daryl and Rick pulled up outside the prison and studied the area. The prison did have a lot of walkers that were roaming about but it looked secure. It was a fortress.<p>

"It's perfect." Rick breathed.

Daryl couldn't help but agree.

Daryl frowned. "Ya don't think there might be people in there?"

"We could take them out, I know we can and we haven't got anywhere else to go." Rick said and Daryl knew he was right.

"Shall we go get the others?" Daryl asked. Rick nodded, they started walking back to the road where they found the others trying to keep warm. Charlie and Beth looked up at their approach.

"What's up?" Glenn asked curiously as he and Maggie looked at Rick and Daryl.

"There's walkers but it's manageable." Rick told them confidently and they all looked hopeful at the news, especially Lori who was rubbing her back as she looked at him wearily. She was ready to relax, whatever that meant.

"Anyone there?" Charlie asked quietly. She hoped no one else had claimed it.

"No sign of people, just the dead." Daryl said calmly and they looked cheered but Glenn, he looked grim.

"How many walkers?"

"A lot, mostly inmates, prison guards, that type of thing." Rick told him her they started to drive towards the prison, it had thankfully stopped snowing as they reached the prison and Rick started cutting the fence with the Dale's bolt cutters.

"Hurry towards the gates and keep your eyes open!" Rick called to the group, Charlie and Daryl slowing to let the rest catch up so they could take formation.

"Alright, Carol, Daryl, Glenn and Maggie, I want you two to go up to clear the watch tower. Beth, Charlie, T-Dog, Patricia, Hershel and Carl, you run along the outside of the fence where it's safe. Try and make noise and attract the walkers, then you can take them out with your knives or something. I'm going to run for the gates. Everyone else behind me, and kill every walker that you see. Got it?

"Got it" Everyone said as they all separated and went to get rid of the walkers. Everyone started to clear a path for Rick to run to the gates.

* * *

><p>They all fired at the walkers in the prison yard, watching as they went down one by one. The people outside the fence were safe, but managing to get rid of walkers at the same time. The four in the watchtower covered Rick, making sure no walkers snuck up on him. Carol fired a shot, that narrowly missed Rick and he glared up at her.<p>

"Sorry," she said with a half chuckle as he continued to run, his goal in sight.

He kept on moving as he reached a guard tower and kicked the door open as Charlie fired a bullet into one of the walker's heads and watched him get in safely.

"He did it." Beth said to Charlie happily as they killed the last of the walkers as they heard Daryl yell out.

"Light it up!" His raspy voice echoed and without having any more hesitation or concerns of hitting Rick. All the guns that were out sent out a massive shower of bullets upon the prison yard.

Rick had finally made it to the top of the guard tower ripping the rifle off his back. He rested his foot on one of the rods of the rails and took aim. Through the sharp scope, he began to pick off the walkers in the courtyard just as his group did, wanting to take the pleasure of mowing down the corpses without any remorse. As he popped off a shot, Rick smiled finally they could have somewhere safe worth fighting for.

Soon, they had managed to clear out the yard, everyone hurried to where Rick was climbing down from the tower. "Alright, we did it guys!" He said happily. "I'll open the gates, and y'all can go get the vehicles and bring them in," he said, knowing they would need to sleep outside for the night.

There was an old bus they could use to sit on for watch. Maybe in the morning he would think about phase two of the plan and clearing the inside of the prison, but for now, as long as they got in and closed the gates behind him, they should be relatively safe for the night. Everyone nodded and headed off to get their stuff, as Rick took a deep breath, feeling more hopeful than he had in a while.

Lori grinned at Rick happily as they all drive the vehicles into the prison, unpacking their things and getting everything out, she walked over to where Rick was and tried to kiss him but Rick avoided her and left her alone.

She had been trying hard lately to make up for what she had done. Even if she was angry with him she pushed it aside. But he pushed back. He barely spoke to her. Her heart was hurting and she felt more alone these days than any she had lived before. She silently hoped this baby would mean that their family could heal.

"Ya wanna set up in the back of the pick up tonight?" Daryl asked Charlie. "The others can take the watch tower. Beds will be tight but hopefully tomorrow Rick and I can get in and clean up a bit."

"Oh. Sure, but where are you gonna go?" Charlie asked him. It was his truck after all.

"I'll sleep out here." He mumbled, pointing to the grass. "Ain't nothin."

"No. You'll sleep in the truck with me." She said back, removing his pack from his hands. He tried to grip on to it but failed. She chucked it into the back of the pickup and crossed her arms. "Ya don't have to sleep with my Daryl but ya can take half the back." She said. "It ain't as if we gotta cuddle."

"Alright, woman." Daryl said smirking at her as they started to light a fire and Daryl went to hunt. He came back with five squirrels that seemed fatter than the last time as Charlie helped him gut them. Beth placed the sticks so they could be cooked in a kebab style as they sat around the fire trying to get warm. Rick was walking around the fence.

Daryl went to take watch and although Charlie tried not to let it bother her, she saw Carol join him on the bus. She bit her lip as she tucked into the cooked meat, her stomach growling as she and the others ate. She saved plates for Daryl and Carol.

"Bethy," Hershel spoke up suddenly, Sing 'Paddy Reilly' for me. I haven't heard that, I think, since your mother was alive."

"Daddy, not that one, please?" Maggie said, leaning against Glenn and looking wistfully at the fire.

"How about…'The Partin' Glass'?" Hershel suggested.

"No, no one wants to hear…" Beth demurred.

"No, we do," Charlie said with a smile. "Go on Beth, it'll cheer us up a little," she encouraged her.

* * *

><p>It was late when she felt the truck shift under Daryl's weight. But she didn't hear the back of the truck open, instead she heard the slamming of a door. She grumbled, climbing out of the back where she had made a very comfortable bed.<p>

"Dammit Daryl Dixon you get your ass outta the cab right bloody now." She swore at him as she pried the door open.

"I am fine here woman. Go back to sleep." He growled, trying to close the door.

"No fucking way. I worked my ass off making sure you would be comfortable back there. I don't give two shits if you want to sleep on the moon. Get your ass back there." Charlie demanded.

Daryl huffed slightly and got out of the cab. He looked at her as the moon shone down on them and he moved to lay down beside her. He could feel her shiver next to him. Pulling his poncho over his head, he lay it over her.

"Why are you avoiding me like the plague, Daryl?" She whispered, watching his silhouette move in front of her.

"I ain't avoiding ya." He said back.

"Okay well then why are ya acting afraid of me? Ya kissed me D. You. Why would ya do that if ya just planned to turn around and ignore me?" She asked him, confused.

"I ain't ignorin ya. I thought you were mad at me, I was givin ya space."

"I don't want space Daryl, I want to have ya beside me." Charlie said strongly as she sat up and took Daryl's hand. He stared at her in surprise, he was stunned that Charlie wanted him. Their previous conversations had confused him. Not to mention his father had hurt her so badly.

"Ya want me?" He asked quietly and Charlie nodded as her eyes glowed in the moonlight. "Why? Why me?"

"Why not you D? We have known each other our whole lives. I've loved ya for almost all of that." Charlie said to him, she reached out and skimmed his face with a finger before dropping it again to her bedding. "I'll wait for ya. When you're ready ya tell me."

Daryl nodded as he watched her lay back down, wrapping with his poncho around her small body. He watched her slowly fall asleep and then allowed himself to do the same. As the wind blew outside he rubbed her gloved hands.

Charlie smiled in her sleep, unaware that Daryl loved her back. He just couldn't say it yet.

He rubbed her hands still as he drifted off into a deep sleep.

* * *

><p>"Alright everyone, today's the day we make this prison ours." Rick said as they all gathered outside after breakfast. "I need a team of volunteers, around six, who are going to come inside. We don't want to take too many, it's safer to stick together in a small group than lose track of people. Who's in?"<p>

"I'll go." Daryl said grabbing his crossbow and Charlie grabbed her machete.

"We'll go too." Glenn said firmly and Maggie nodded. They were then followed by T-Dog and Carol.

They filed inside the building, weapons drawn. Each walker that fell they dragged out the doors and into the courtyard where Lori, Beth, Hershel, Pat and Carl began piling them up to burn.

Rick had been thinking a lot since leaving the farm. His son had really begun to grow into this new world. He may not like that but if he died he could rest knowing that he had some sort of chance. Not only with these people but on his own if need be. This world left no other option; Die or survive.

"This place is massive." Charlie muttered to Daryl as she leaned against the brick wall. They could hear people talking below the large balcony that looked out over more prison cells. "Ya gonna pick one?" She asked him, pointing to the cells behind her.

"I ain't getting cornered in one of those. I'll take the corner." He said, pointing to the corner of the balcony.

Charlie nodded in understanding and picked the cell next a few feet from him so she would be close by.

"Please tell me we can at least wash the cells before sleeping?" She asked repulsed as everyone glared at her. Rick came down the stairs with the prison warden's keys. Rick ignored her remark as he looked at all of them.

"In the morning, we'll look for the cafeteria, armoury, and infirmary." He told them as they all nodded and started tidying up the pace. There was a stream next to the prison where, for now, they could bathe.

Maybe once everything was up and running they could get the water working. For now there was nothing but a big stable shelter. And for now, that was enough for them.

Charlie started pulling out the soiled sheets in the cell as she saw Daryl dragging out a mattress so he could sleep on it in the perch. Beth and Charlie gathered the dirty sheets so they could wash them in the stream.

"Home sweet home." Glenn said sighing. Here he hoped he and Maggie would have a little more time together. Time to relax and smile once and a while. That is all he could hope for.

"Can we please get some water to wash in?!" Lori pleaded looking fed up as everyone glared back at her. Of course they knew she needed an escort to the stream. She couldn't protect herself before she was pregnant and it was worse now.

"I'll take her." Charlie said, sighing. If the woman went into labour while she was out there it would be best for her to be there. "We'll both bathe and then bring back water for washing. I'll take the truck." Rick nodded, handing over the keys.

"I'm comin." Daryl told her, pulling the keys out of her hands. "Ya can't bathe if ya watching over ya shoulder."

"Uh huh." Charlie grinned back at him.

Daryl chuckled while Lori scowled at the both of them. They walked out of the cell block, Beth started putting all of the dirty laundry into bags so they knew what to wash when Rick came over. "How are you doing?" He asked her gently.

"I'm okay, I've got daddy, Maggie, Glenn, Charlie and Daryl. I'll be alright..." She said smiling softly, he looked tired and sad.

"How are you?" She said, wiping her hands on her jeans and staring back at him.

"Everything is good." Rick lied. He was the leader, he couldn't look weak in front of his people.

"Oh. Okay. Well let me know if you need anything Rick."

"I will, thank you Beth." Rick said nodding at her as he watched her go to help Hershel and Carol.

* * *

><p>Daryl, Charlie and Lori had reached the stream and were now filling up the buckets with water so they could get that out of the way before going to wash, the sun was beating down softly and there was a nice breeze.<p>

"We've filled up all the buckets." Charlie told Lori who nodded and grabbing a clean set of clothes, she walked few feet away and started to wash herself happily as Charlie started undressing. Daryl turned around and faced back towards the prison.

She laughed at him shifting awkwardly.

"You are such a weirdo." She teased as she wiggled out of her jeans. He was shy, she knew that. But she was thankful that he kept his eyes averted because Lori was pretty naked three feet away from her.

She stepped into the soothing water and sighed in relief. God the water felt so good on her dirty skin as she started washing herself, dunking her head under the water as she washed her hair. Getting out she wrapped a towel around her body as she dried off and pulled on clean clothes and clean socks, she then put on her cowboy boots as Daryl went to wash next.

She turned her back as she saw him pulling off his checked shirt. The muscles of his back shifted, moving the scars with them. He was beautiful. She smiled, even if he didn't know it yet, he was hers.

She saw Lori drying her hair happily.

Daryl finished washing and got dressed before they all got back into the truck and drove slowly back to the prison.

They soon reached the prison and Lori went inside as Beth came out and the three of them carried in four buckets of water to wash linens in.

"Thanks, guys." Rick said, meaning it. They all started to clean up the cell block, T - Dog helped sweep up the dirt while Carol started scrubbing the filthy concrete floor.

* * *

><p>It was late when Charlie headed out towards the watch tower. She and Daryl had watch together tonight. She had to admit, being alone with him was making her feel nervous lately. They hadn't labelled whatever they were. It left her wondering. Maybe tonight would bring forth some answers.<p>

"Hey redneck." She teased, throwing Daryl his poncho. "It's gonna be cold tonight."

He caught it, a small smile fighting to break through his serious demeanour. "I ain't cold. But thanks." Daryl wasn't so sure about tonight. They hadn't really talked much about what happened between them. It wasn't something he really wanted to talk about. He wasn't sure he could be the man she needed, even if he tried. He was bound to hurt her somehow. Not to mention she needed a man who could make her feel good. He wasn't that man. He had been too shy, too broken to gain the experience necessary to make a woman happy. Not to mention prison... He wasn't so sure he was capable of that sort of relationship.

Long story short, he wasn't sure he could make her happy. He wanted her to be happy, he loved her. That is why he said nothing when she told him how she felt. It was better this way.

"This place could be really good for us all." Charlie said to Daryl, standing up against the railing next to him. "We can grow food out there."

"Should be okay for now." Daryl agreed.

"Ya think anymore about what I said to ya last night?" She asked him, curiously. She didn't want to pressure him but she couldn't help wonder.

"I ain't the one for ya Char." He said, not looking at her. It hurt him to say it because he so badly wanted her.

"You think so do ya?" She asked, nudging his arm.

"I can't give ya what ya need. I don't... I just can't." He was frustrated he couldn't just come out and say it to her. But he wasn't that guy. He wasn't used to all this heart to heart shit.

She set her gun down against the railing and turned to look at him. Reaching up she ran her hand along his bare arm. "Ya think that I feel any different?" She asked him. She had no idea how any of this worked. It was easy to close your eyes and imagine. It wasn't the same when it was happening to you. "But I can tell you for sure... I don't want a relationship with anyone else." It sounded dumb to her. But it was true. "I... I don't think I could let anyone else touch me."

Daryl listened to what she was saying. He knew she was weird with people, men mostly. Since what had happened to her in the past.

"When ya touch me D... I don't feel like running... At least not away." If he didn't want her, then she was likely to live the way she felt. Alone.

He turned and looked down at her for a moment, "You're the most beautiful thing I ever saw." He said softly, leaning down to touch her face with his hand. "I could strangle our fathers..." She deserved happiness.

She reached up on her tippy toes and touched noses with him. "I need ya."

Daryl lowered his head so he could rest his forehead against hers, he needed her. He wanted her but he was afraid that he wouldn't be good enough.

"I don't wanna hurt ya Charlie." He said quietly as he felt her hands on his cheek, he closed his eyes.

"You could never hurt me, you are one of the few people who could never hurt me Daryl Dixon." She said softly stroking his stubbly cheek.

Daryl took a shaky breath, could he really be in a relationship with her, with his best friend? 'Yes ya can, ya want her badly.' The voice in his head said back.

Daryl opened his eyes and looked back at her. "I do love ya." He admitted it to her. He felt her smile as he pushed his lips into hers. They weren't doing the best job at keeping watch, but he shrugged it off.

They kissed eager to say all of the things as their lips mashed together. Charlie tangled her hand into his hair, feeling the softness as she pressed her body into his, desperate to feel his skin on hers.

"Charlie." Daryl groaned as he ran his rough fingers along the bottom of her tank top. He felt the soft silky smooth skin as he kissed her back feeling her run her other hand up his arm.

He moved in front of her, pushing her hard against the cold metal of the rail as he held on to her. His hands slid up her waist, gripping her skin. He finally broke the kiss and looked back at her. Her eyes were half open and she was breathing heavily as she looked back at Daryl.

"Daryl what..." She began to say something when his lips fell to her neck, trailing down towards her chest.

She ran her hands against his chest as she felt him reach to her jeans. He slid his hand up along her warmth, through her pants.

He groaned when he saw her lean back closing her eyes, she looked so fuckin' sexy and it drove him crazy. She was his woman, his mate.

She pressed herself against him and let him pay attention to her.

"This is mine." He said roughly lifting his hand to unbutton her jeans. He fiddled a moment before sliding his hand into her wet panties.

She let out a gasp; she had never been touched by a man she cared for. Never willingly. She had been nervous to find out what would happen when they got to this point. But here they were. She felt good.

"Daryl." she moaned as she kissed his neck. She ground into his hand. She moaned just at the thought of him inside her.

"I'm here Char." Daryl growled sliding his other hand into her bra and rolled her perfect breasts in his hands. Charlie moaned softly and dug her nails into his sides.

He moved his fingers, getting to know her body. He had to admit he had no idea what he was doing. But she seemed to like it so he continued. She brought her hand around to his, guiding him to her clit. Another sweet gasp fell from her lips as she broke their kiss momentarily.

"D." She moaned, moving her hand around, cupping him. "Oh god D!" She squeezed him as she fell apart in his arms, her body rocked with pleasure. She sighed deeply, falling against his chest.

He slid his hand out of her body and as he held her close he slipped them into his mouth, cleaning them. Tasting her. But as he did this he felt her hand move again, trying to open his fly. "No." He said softly, his voice gravelly.

"But Daryl..."

"Just let me hold ya." He said, not ready for what she had wanted to do. This was a big enough step.

"Of course." Charlie said softly and she felt him wrap his arms around her. They both sat down on the floor and held each other, Charlie felt the wind blow her hair gently as she traced his chest.

"I love ya." Daryl said quietly as he kissed her forehead.

"I love you too." She whispered brushing his hair from his face.


	12. Chapter 12 Blood On My Hands

Summary: When Daryl defends Charlene from his father's unwanted advances, they are pulled into a painful misunderstanding with the law and Will Dixon. Daryl/OC, Rick/Beth. AU at first but then moves into ZA. Co – Written with alycenwonder. Rated M for violence, language and sexual scenes.

**Special Thanks To: ****Daydreamer123****, Quest, Guest, ****WalkingPotterGirl14****, Kima Wolfwood, jeanf and ****missy7293****. You people rock. Read alycenwonder's story, A Walk In The Dark.**

**Warning: This chapter has rape and mentions of past attempted rape.**

Carrying On

Chapter 12

* * *

><p>"So what's happening Rick?" Glenn asked as they sat down to eat.<p>

"Today, we'll look for the infirmary and the armoury." Rick said and they all nodded in agreement.

"What about me, dad?" Carl asked eagerly.

"You need to stay back, if anything happens, you'll be the last man standing," Rick said, and Carl nodded hesitantly.

"I can do that." He said pulling down his cowboy hat.

"I'm in," T-Dog added.

"Be careful, daddy," Beth said quietly as she hugged Hershel.

"Be careful, Daryl." Charlie said to Daryl quietly as she watched him grab a flashlight. "I'll stay here with Lori, just in case." That way if something happened Lori and her baby could stay safe.

* * *

><p>"Does that hurt?" Charlie asked Lori, pressing on her stomach. She felt the tightening of her abdomen followed by a quick release.<p>

"Yes, it hurts." Lori winced, gripping the table she lay on. "I'm, pretty sure it's labour."

Charlie was sure it was to. But she was also worried. She could tell the baby hadn't turned properly. She couldn't risk giving birth like this.

"Beth, get my medical bag, Carl can you get some towels and Carol I need clean water." She instructed. Lori's was definitely in labour. Her contractions not far apart in such a short period of time.

"It hurts." Lori whimpered grabbing Charlie's hand tightly in pain until the contraction passed and she could breathe again.

"I know, don't worry Lori, it's going to be okay." Charlie said praying it would be. Beth and Carol came back with the items she had asked for as Beth seeing Lori.

"You need to let me have a look." Charlie told her, laying Lori back once again, having moved the woman onto a small bunk in an empty cell.

"Mmmm." Lori didn't answer, just did as she was told.

Charlie took a look under the hood. She was dilated fully but Charlie was even more worried as she removed her hand. "Is that blood?" Beth gasped, looking down at Charlie's hand.

"Okay. Beth we need to try to turn the baby. I can do that by moving Lori's stomach. It could work but I need your help." Charlie moved to Lori's stomach and showed Beth where to press down. But after ten minutes it hadn't worked. "This isn't working." Charlie grumbled.

"Just do it." Lori said, knowing what had to be done. "Please."

"Lori... This place isn't sanitary, you might not survive, and there would be a high chance of infection not to mention internal bleeding." Charlie told her. "We need to get back to the cells and..."

"No, look... It doesn't matter." Lori told her. "We need to get the baby out now. I know what it means, I know I won't survive, but I need you to save my baby. Carl has a knife, you can use that." Carl crawled over to his mother. "Promise me that you'll stay strong and won't let this world beat you. You'll do the right things; it's so easy to make the wrong decision now. But you are so brave and so smart and I am so proud of you," she said tearfully, as Carl felt bad for a second and leaned down to hug her.

"Take care of your father, and your brother and this baby. I know Rick and I don't see eye to eye anymore, but he's not a bad man," she said before looking at Charlie.

"I need you to do this for me now," she said quietly. "Please... before it's too late for the baby as well."

"Carol," Charlie said, trying to keep her voice steady, "I need you to move over a bit and hold Lori's shoulders down very firmly. This is going to hurt when I do this, and if she jumps or moves I could accidentally cut too deeply or I could harm the baby..." She nodded and moved into position.

Lori looked up at the ceiling dreamily and murmured, "Good night, love."

Charlie stripped off a sheet and handed it to Beth. "Here, please use this to wipe the blood from the wound as I cut so that I can see." She took a deep breath and made the incision in Lori's abdomen. The woman's screams made every hair on Charlie's body stand on end. It was almost unbearable.

Nevertheless she parted the flesh along the cut line open slightly and reached her hands in. "The cord's wrapped around the neck, hold on," she said to Carl. She reached further in and the others saw her arms moving around at the shoulder. "There we go," she said almost to herself.

She pulled back and brought a blood-covered infant out of Lori's womb. The baby remained limp and silent. Charlie cradled it in her arms and placed her mouth over the baby's nose and mouth and alternately sucked and spat out the fluids that blocked the child's airway.

"Alright, the baby's breathing." Charlie said quickly. "We need to get out of here and find the others, she needs formula or something, let's move." she said as she wrapped the baby up in her jacket and got up.

"What about mom?" Carl asked quietly. "She's gonna turn if we leave her."

Charlie gave the baby to Beth as she walked to where Lori was.

"No," he said firmly. "I have to do it."

Charlie, Beth and Carol stood just outside the door with their backs to the boiler room. The gunshot startled the baby and she began crying again.

* * *

><p>Charlie paced anxiously as the small baby girl screamed in her arms. The group hadn't returned yet and Charlie worried that they might not be back. "That's them!" Carl said, pointing towards a door to another part of the prison.<p>

"Is that?" Rick said stopping ten feet away from Charlie. His face went to the small child in her arms and then to Carl. "Where is your mother?" He asked. Carl shed a small tear and looked to the baby girl. "No." Rick said shakily. Then he did something no one expected.

The man dropped to his knees, face in his hands. And he cried.

Rick sniffled and then looked down at Carl's resolute face "No, no, no…." Carl walked stolidly past everyone and into the prison without speaking.

Charlie watched Rick break down in front of all of them as she rocked the softly snuffling baby. Daryl wordlessly came over and pulled her into his chest as she felt tears swim down her face. There had been no other options. She did what she had to do. People sometimes had to die in order for others to live. It was part of her job.

They all watched in a grief ridden silence as Rick broke down, rolling and sobbing on the floor like a wounded animal before jumping up and grabbing an axe. They watched in horror as he stormed into the part of the prison that led to where Lori had died.

"Let me see the baby." Hershel asked softly and Charlie gently placed the baby in his arms as he and Carol along with Patricia looked over the newborn baby.

She's healthy enough but she needs formula or she won't survive." Hershel told them gravely. Charlie had figured as much.

"We ain't losin' anymore people." He said firmly. We need to head into town.

"Glenn and I are comin." Maggie said, grabbing her jacket. "You'll need us."

While Daryl, Maggie and Glenn had gone to get formula, Charlie and Beth cleaned up the baby and made sure she wasn't covered in afterbirth. Beth got out a baby onesie with butterflies on it that Lori had carried around.

They dressed her and made sure she was clean and had a diaper on as she cried softly, clearly hungry. Charlie tickled her belly, trying to distract her with Beth.

* * *

><p>Glenn, Maggie and Daryl pulled into the small town around mid-day. They weren't sure just where they would look but figured once there they would find somewhere.<p>

"There's a day-care." Maggie said pointing to a small house in the middle of a down town street. It looked old. A heritage house with a past. A little white picket fence stood tall and proud. "I think we should check it out."

They opened the gate as they headed inside the day-care. They looked around the rooms for any walkers that might be around, they only found two nursery teachers.

After taking them out, they headed into the kitchen where they grabbed all of the formula and saw names on the wall.

_Sophia.  
><em>  
>He felt a wave of sadness hit him as he looked at the name. Distracting himself he found cans of formula and heard something in one of the cupboards, he opened it to reveal a possum.<p>

Thinking quickly Daryl stabbed the thing right in the face. It shrieked loudly before dropping from the high cabinet to the floor with a loud thud. "What the hell was that?" Maggie asked, raising her weapon towards the sound.

"Dinner." Daryl laughed, grabbing the thing by the tail and holding it up for the two to see.

Maggie looked at him and tilted her head to the side. "Really?"

Daryl shrugged, "We ain't got much else." He said pleased to see a smile bloom on her face as they grabbed the supplies and got on the bike back to the prison.

As soon as Carol let them in the gates, they hurried back into the prison. It had already started to get dark, they had been away for a couple of hours. They headed back to the canteen. Daryl took the baby from Beth who had been rocking her, as she went to boil water for the formula. When it was done she mixed some and handed it to Daryl... Everyone, aside from Charlie, looked shocked as Daryl started to rock the baby and smiled as he gently gave the bottle to her. Daryl looked at the others with a shit eating grin as the baby settled down. "She got a name?" He asked Carl. He knew what he would call her... Little Asskicker. That is what she would become. He would make sure of it.

Carl gave a small shrug and turned away slightly. "I thought maybe Amy... Jacqui," he began, and Charlie smiled sadly at the names of the people they had lost. "Or Sophia... Lori..."

"What about Lil' Ass Kicker?" He asked, and everyone smiled properly for what felt like the first time in ages. "Lil Ass Kicker? Ya like that? Ya like that, sweetheart?"

"Guess we found us a baby whisperer," Hershel exclaimed, continuing to be surprised by Daryl Dixon.

Charlie smiled as she watched Daryl bond with the baby, it was really beautiful. "Where is Rick? It's getting kinda late to be out in the other cell blocks."

"I'll go check on him." Hershel told her, touching her shoulder with a smile. "You stay here and take a break. It's been a long few days... You did good."

Charlie smiled back. It sucked that Lori had lost her life but she had done all she could do. This had been the only possible outcome of all this. There was no other way... At least something sweet and small had come out of it.

"Wanna hold her?" Carl asked with a small smile as he stared back at Charlie.

Charlie gave him a soft smile. "Sure," she said softly, as she saw Daryl come over and gently place the little one in her arms. "Hey, Lil' Ass Kicker," she said smiling as the baby reached up and tugged on her hair. Its eyes were so big she thought as she stared back at her.

She smiled at the beautiful little baby girl and rocked her gently as she cooed happily at her, her blue eyes sparkling. Little Ass Kicker snuggled into her happily and she stroked her soft tufts of red hair gently.

Charlie hummed a lullaby that her grandma would sing to her as a child and Beth joined in, Little Ass kicker cuddled her as a soft smiling Daryl watched his woman bond with the baby.

"Judith." Carl said out of the blue.

"What?" Charlie said startled.

"Her name... It's Judith." Carl said again smiling at the small child. "Dad isn't here and I am choosing."

"Okay." Glenn said softly, "Welcome to the group Judith."

* * *

><p>Hershel left the smiling group to enjoy themselves as he went towards the next cell block where Lori had died in a cell. Rick had come for him when he was upset. He owed the man this much.<p>

He found the man covered in blood, his gun lying on the floor along with his hatchet. Rick wore a look of absolute grief on his face as he was held a telephone in his hands.

"Where are you, Lori?" He whispered brokenly. Hershel sat down in a chair and watched quietly. The man was ruined.

"Rick?" Hershel asked gently. The man looked up at Hershel.

"I heard her on the phone Hershel, she was talking to me and telling me she loved me." Rick said bitterly as he looked at his wedding ring numbly. "But I think she loved Shane more."

"My wife loved my best friend more than she loved me, she cheated on me." He said pained. He knew it hadn't really been her fault. She had thought him dead. And once he came back and she knew he was alive she stayed faithful. But it had still hurt.

"Carl and the baby need you, Rick." Hershel said gently.

Rick looked at him, he knew Hershel was right and got up unsteadily as Hershel guided him back to the cell block where the others were and he saw Carl holding the baby quietly.

Beth gently gave him a basin filled with water so he could wash up and he nodded at her, she smiled softly at him. Rick didn't want to go near the child but it was enough to know she was alright.

"Has she got a name?" He asked Carl softly who nodded with a small smile.

"Her name is Judith Grimes."

"She looks like ya." Daryl said from where he stood next to Charlie and Beth.

"Maybe we can go get some air?" Rick suggested. "I'd like to ...ah...see how the fences are holding up." Rick said, looking away from the child.

"Of course! We'll all go Rick," Hershel grabbed his crutches, wanting to be there with Rick. Tomorrow they would have to bury Lori...

* * *

><p>Rick got washed and dressed the next morning, it felt nice having a small bath in the river as he saw the others waiting for him at Lori's grave with Beth holding Judith in her arms as she softly cooed. He had to admit the girl was helpful.<p>

They all went outside to where the cross was stuck in the ground next to the freshly dug grave. They watched as Rick walked towards the cross and sat down wordlessly in front of it. Carol went to find some flowers, and came back, placing one down on each grave.

They all stood in a respectful silence for a while when Rick got up and walked to where Carol, Charlie, Beth and Carl stood quietly.

"Thank you, for saving my little girl all of you." He said to them and hugged each of them.

"Thank you." He said to Daryl, Carol, Beth and Charlie, Carl stood beside his father.

"No need to thank us, Rick," Carol said softly. "She's family, you are too," she said as she patted him on the back gently.

That's what they were now. All each other had.

It didn't have to be by blood but they were family and cared about each other, hell they would fight side until all this was over.

Beth sang softly to Lori as the others stood listening. They began going back into the prison as Glenn and Maggie got ready to go on another run and Beth started running a little bath for Judith.

She smiled at all of them, her blue eyes twinkling as she grasped Rick's finger.

"Hey there." He choked out as he looked down at the small child. She really did look like him. That was a relief to him.

When a child is born most say that they are meant to look mostly like their father. This was so that long ago a man would know he was its father and fight to keep it safe. Survival.

"She will be safe Rick. I got her." Beth said happily, knowing that Rick was becoming anxious around the infant.

"I know you will, thank you, Beth." Rick said gratefully as he left and walked around the prison yard. He had time here. Time to think about their next move. But did he want that?

Beth hummed softly as she bounced Judith inside the prison... She smiled as they sat on a bench and watched the clouds through a small window. It was cloudy but not humid as she stroked Judith's cheek. She cooed and grasped Rick Beth's hands.

"You Daddy will hold ya soon. He loves ya I know it." Beth whispered to the small girl. She could make out Rick's figure through the window as he stared out across the open court yard. He was a wonderful, beautiful man. She knew she never had a chance with him. But she cared. Because of that she would help him.

She smiled and rocked Judith gently as she took her to her own cell for her mid-morning bottle.

* * *

><p>Daryl and Charlie had decided to look around the prison when they saw a room that held wires and heaters. They cautiously went inside and found only two walkers roaming around aimlessly as they took them out silently and looked around.<p>

"Think we can get them working to have power and hot water?" Charlie asked curiously as Daryl looked around.

"Not sure. I don't think there is power going anywhere these days. We would need to hook up a genny. Don't have one though..." Daryl worried about that. Until they were a little more stable he wasn't sure they could spare the fuel. "For now I say we mention it to Rick. Maybe we'll get lucky and find some way to make it work." Maybe they would find a way to hook up a solar panel? But then they would need to find one... Daryl didn't have the first clue how any of that worked.

"Maybe, might be able to." Daryl said gruffly.

"We can look for solar panels." Daryl told her as they decided to look for the prison. They got ready to leave and said goodbye to the others.

"We won't be long." Charlie told Hershel who nodded and watched them leave. At least she hoped not. They had no idea just where to look.

They drove on Daryl's bike to save more fuel as they reached the town and looked for a store that did solar panels.

The two headed towards town. They knew it was likely they wouldn't make it back that night but it didn't much matter. Rick knew not to send anyone after them.

"Isn't that the truck that Glenn and Maggie took?" Charlie asked Daryl as she saw the small truck parked on the side of the road. Charlie got a cold feeling all over.

"Yeah it is." Daryl said frowning.

"Where are they?" She asked worriedly as she looked around. Daryl saw there had been a struggle as he guided her to the bike and that was when they saw a grey Humvee blur past them. Daryl grabbed Charlie, shoving her fast behind a nearby car.

"What the hell was that?" Charlie asked still in shock. The last time they encountered people had not been good. Daryl led her back towards the bike and they climbed on.

"We gotta tell Rick and the others." Daryl said grimly as he turned on the engine. It started up. They drove back to the prison worried over their two missing group members.

Charlie couldn't help but think that they were wasting time. They should have followed that Hummer. "Who the hell is that?" Daryl said, breaking her concentration. Looking up she saw what he had been talking about.

A woman stood behind the fence line of the prison. In her hands she carried bags of what looked like... Formula? "Why does she have that D?" Charlie said suspiciously.

"I ain't sure, Char." Daryl said as they hurried to where the others had noticed the mysterious woman.

Charlie waited for Rick and approached the fence line with caution, taking out her pistol and flicking off the safety.

"Who are you?" Rick asked forcefully, but the woman didn't answer, instead she swayed weakly.

"Are ya bit?" Rick asked taking notice of the bleeding at the woman's side.

"Gunshot," The woman answered, correcting Rick.

"Rick! She's carrying baby formula," Daryl noticed the cans in the basket. That was when the walkers seemed to pick up her scent.

They started closing in on the woman, and she pulled out a katana, starting to kill the walkers. But she was unsteady on her feet, and the next time she went to swing her weapon, she dropped to the ground.

"DAD!" Carl shouted, as he rushed to the woman's rescue. He shot at the surrounding walkers before going out to help bring her in.

They helped the mystery woman inside as Carl dragged in the baby formula. Hershel tended to the woman as getting an IV set up and Charlie saw she had been grazed by a bullet to her left calf as she started bathing it and the woman hissed.

"Where did ya get the formula?" Daryl asked wearily as he stood close to Charlie who tended to her with Carol helping her.

"Your friends were getting it when they got taken by people in Woodbury." The woman answered quietly and paused. "Figured you would need it... Look they were taken." Michonne said. She had left Andrea behind. All she wanted was to get her back.

"Taken by who?" Rick said angrily. His people were gone and he wasn't comfortable sitting here without action.

"The Governor." Michonne said quietly. She only hoped this group was better than that one. "Merle shot me after I left Woodbury, the Governor doesn't like people leaving the place." Michonne said bitterly.

Daryl stilled at the mention of his missing older brother as Rick, him and Charlie exchanged a look.

"My brother wouldn't do that." Daryl said firmly as Charlie grasped his hand tightly.

Charlie looked at Michonne, "You said Merle... Is he okay?" She shrugged off the thought of him shooting her. She knew Daryl loved his brother but she also knew what Merle is capable of. This was one of those things.

"Hunky dory."

"Right, we should get ready to leave." Rick said firmly and they all nodded as T - Dog came over. "We can't just leave them with that man. If he is the way you say then they might not have much time. What do we do about Merle, is he coming back here?" He asked wearily and Daryl glared as did Charlie.

"He's my brother, man." Daryl growled warningly at the man who ignored him.

"If Merle has gone off the reservation... We might have to look at him a little closer D." Charlie said, knowing he wouldn't like it. "If he hurts one of our people... They may not want him with us. We could lose them."

"We ain't havin this conversation! My brother is kin. We find him, he comes back here with us. End of topic." Daryl snapped, grabbing his bow.

They all headed to the small grey car. "We follow Michonne. When we get close we walk." Rick ordered. Then they left to find their people.


	13. Chapter 13 Welcome To Woodbury

Summary: When Daryl defends Charlene from his father's unwanted advances, they are pulled into a painful misunderstanding with the law and Will Dixon. Daryl/OC, Rick/Beth. AU at first but then moves into ZA. Co – Written with alycenwonder. Rated M for violence, language and sexual scenes.

**Special Thanks To: ****Daydreamer123****, Quest, Guest, ****WalkingPotterGirl14****, Kima Wolfwood, jeanf, Daydreamer123 and ****missy7293****. You people rock. Read alycenwonder's story, A Walk In The Dark.**

Carrying On

Chapter 13

* * *

><p>They trekked through the woods for what seemed like a day. Rick and Daryl were on a mission, they didn't allow being tried to stop them. When they did find the small town they staked it out. They had to figure out a way in without being noticed.<p>

"Which way do we go?" Rick asked Michonne.

"I can show you the way in, but I gotta leave you there. I need to help a friend." Michonne said quietly.

Rick looked at her from the corner of his eye. "Just get us in."

She nodded and she led them to a hole in the wall of cars and trucks that lined the city. "We split up here." Rick said to her. Turning around to see the woman had already gone. She was like a ghost.

They walked cautiously among the shadows of the buildings as they looked around for Maggie and Glenn. Daryl saw a familiar white RV parked outside a house, he knew that RV instantly. They had left it behind on the highway the day the farm had been over run. Dale and Andrea must have come back for it. Did that mean that they were here?

"Is that Dale's RV?" Rick asked quietly. Two people guarding what looked like a warehouse and heard them talking quietly.

"The governor says to keep an eye out for that black girl. She comes back... He wants to deal with her."

"Should have known better than to fuck with the boss." The man said as they opened the door and they moved in quickly, Maggie and Glenn needed them more than ever.

Daryl, T-Dog and Rick followed behind the two men, hoping that this would be it. If they were right maybe they would lead them to their people.

"Show's over people, your time's up." The man said smirking as he aimed gun at Maggie.

"We gotta do somethin." Daryl whispered to Rick.

"We take em out quiet. We don't need this whole place coming after us. Knives out." Rick said, pulling his own from its place on his leg. "In and out. Fast."

Daryl and T- Dog nodded before sneaking up behind the two men quietly, plunging their knives into the back of their necks, killing them instantly. They lift the men to the floor so that no one would hear the bodies crash down.

"Rick, thank God!" Glenn exclaimed as the rest of the group came in. "We thought we were going to die here."

"We need to find you a way out," Rick said quickly, as he helped untie them.

"We told them where the prison was." Glenn said ashamed.

"So they know where we are?" Rick asked. Glenn nodded, "It's okay, we'll be okay. We need to get outta here though."

* * *

><p>Daryl was shaken having found Maggie shirtless and Glenn beaten half to death. It hurt his brain to think that Merle had tried to rape her. Did he? He couldn't even be sure...<p>

"Okay, we don't wait for Michonne. We go." Rick said as they got closer to the hole they had come through. "We worry about our own and then others."

"I ain't leavin." Daryl told him. "My brother is still in there."

"Your brother is the one who did this to them, Daryl!" T-Dog hissed at him viciously. Maggie bit her lip and coughed slightly before looking at Daryl.

"Merle didn't rape me, he just beat up Glenn after we refused to take him back to the prison." Maggie said sighing heavily as they stood there.

"What he did might as well have been rape!" Glenn snapped back angrily. His face was cold as he glared up at Daryl. "Your brother isn't one of us anymore. Face it Daryl."

"We can't debate this right now. We need to get you to back to the prison. Once I do that then I will come back to help you Daryl. If you stay here... Stay hidden." Rick told him.

Daryl sighed and nodded as he watched them slip through the fence. He just wanted his brother back, he didn't understand why the others were doing this. Merle would have only been doing what he had to.

As Daryl turned to head back into the building his vision went blank. A bag was slipped over his head and he was dragged away.

* * *

><p>The small group made it back to the prison early the next morning. Glenn and Maggie going upstairs to get some rest.<p>

"Where is Daryl?" Charlie asked him, watching the road in hope. But he wasn't there... "Where?"

"We stayed behind. He said he had to get Merle out." Rick told her. He was exhausted but he knew they had to go back for him. Daryl had become a huge part of their survival. He was loved.

"We have to go help him!" She said, reaching for her weapon. He held out his hand to her.

"No. I am going back. You are staying here. Judith and Beth will need you if anything goes wrong. Hershel doesn't know enough about children's medical health to be enough." Rick told her. "I know you two are close but I can't risk my child."

"You can't just leave him there! He could be hurt by now!" She snapped back.

"And I am going to go back. Right now." He told her. "I just needed to get Maggie and Glenn home."

"Fine." Charlie sighed.

Rick nodded, touching her shoulder lightly, "I'll bring him back."

"I'll be on watch." Charlie said quietly. She wasn't happy she had to stay behind. Even though Lori was dead now she couldn't help resent the woman for having gotten pregnant... Now she was a babysitter. And for how long?

"It'll be okay Charlie." Beth said, smiling softly. "I have to believe that."

"I know, I just worry about Daryl being hurt and alone out there." Charlie said sighing as Judith cooed and she smiled slightly down at the baby. Charlie and Beth took watch as they talked back and forth to each other. It was Charlie's only escape from thinking about Daryl being hurt. She just wanted him home.

* * *

><p>Rick had gone back to Woodbury with a reluctant T-Dog. Rick worried that finding Daryl wouldn't be so easy. And even after they did... He had a feeling his promise to Charlie would get broken. He just couldn't allow Merle to join them after what he had done to Maggie and Glenn...<p>

They slipped back through the hole they had used the first time, heading inside Woodbury. Rick wondered what the place would have been like if the leader hadn't been corrupt and evil... Maybe this place and these people would be thriving.

"Where is everyone?" T-Dog asked Rick, looking around through the darkness. The town was empty. Cheering rang out over the calm as their heads shot up.

"It's over there." Rick said as they made their way towards the sounds. "Oh my god." He whispered horrified.

Standing in an arena with people cheering from the stands was, Daryl alongside his brother Merle. They weren't alone either, being restrained in the stands was Dale and Andrea standing next to a man who had a bandage over his left eye.

"These people destroyed our home! They attacked and killed two of our people!" He told the crowd and turned to look at Merle.

"You wanted your brother, here he is." The Governor told him. Shining the lights in his brother's direction.

The governor made another hand gesture as walkers were released towards the two.

Daryl and Merle quickly fought against them as Rick threw a smoke grenade to allow them to escape. Everyone started screaming and panicking as Rick's group made for the hole in the barricade.

Rick fired at the guards as he went to get Daryl and Merle. Daryl looked bruised and bloodied, a small cut on the right side of his face. "Dale." He grunted. His eyes went to the man he called friend.

They ran for their friend while Merle covered them. Dale had been left behind during the commotion. He stood tied to the bleachers as he fought to get free. Rick got to him, cutting the ropes. "We need to get out of here, NOW."

Dale nodded quickly and followed them. There were walkers all over as the people who died came back. Merle led the way as they reached the wall slipping through the hole in the fence. Then they ran. They ran until they were far enough away.

"Merle's not coming back with us." Rick said, stopping the group.

"Come on! What are you talking about? He's my brother!" Daryl snapped back.

"He beat up Glenn and he shot Michonne, no way in hell is he coming back with us!" T-Dog snapped harshly. Daryl took this in silently as he looked over at where Merle was.

"No Merle, no me." Daryl said finally. He knew if Rick said no that he would have to go now, leaving Charlie behind.

"What about Charlie, what do I tell her?" Rick asked quietly and regret flashed across Daryl's face.

"She'll understand." Daryl said. He knew his words were a lie. She would wonder why he left her there. But he wanted more for her and being out in the world, away from the safety of their group would not be best for Charlie.

"Wait Daryl, wait!" Glenn called out but it was too late, the damage was done as they watched Daryl and Merle walk into the woods silently. Rick turned to look at Glenn and T-Dog. Everyone was in shock that they had just lost Daryl. The man had been so important to them for so long...

"We can only hope that he comes back." Rick told them before getting back into the car.

They drove silently back to the prison.

* * *

><p>Charlie stood in the court yard with Judith as she paced around worried sick about Daryl, Merle and Rick. Were they alright? Had something happened to them?<p>

She shook her head as she bounced Judith who smiled at her softly.

Charlie stroked her cheek as she saw the car coming up as Maggie and Carl pulled the fence away and she eagerly walked over to greet Daryl but stilled when she didn't see him there. "I'll take her." Beth said, reaching out for the infant.

Charlie handed Judith over and made for the cars approaching. Where the hell was he this time?

Charlie ran to the car, her heart racing as she reached them. Rick came towards her with a look of concern but Glenn beat him to it as he glared at Charlie.

"Daryl's gone. Left with Merle." He said quietly and Charlie blinked, not believing what she was hearing as she looked at Rick pleadingly.

"You're lying." Charlie insisted looking around as Rick spoke and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Why the hell would they leave?"

"Glenn and T - Dog didn't want Merle back so Daryl left with him, Charlie." Rick said gently.

Charlie felt her eyes sting with tears as she took in the fact that Daryl had picked Merle over her, after what they had shared on the watch tower. She had thought they were starting something real. She'd been mistaken?

She pulled away from him and turned towards the prison. She couldn't blame them. She wouldn't have wanted Will to join their group... Merle had treated Maggie pretty awful... But for Daryl to leave with him... The least he could have done was take her to.

Daryl had left her.

He had promised he wouldn't leave her again but he had...

Charlie reached her cell and found Daryl's shirt. Angrily she moved his things out to the perch, even the shirt. If he was gone and never coming back she would have to leave him behind to. It was only fair.

She wished he hadn't gone. But he had. She was hurt.

* * *

><p>Daryl was regretting leaving the others. He and Merle walked through the woods looking for a spot to stay for the night. He missed Charlie and wondered how she was handling him leaving her...<p>

He felt like an asshole, hell he was an asshole. But Merle was his brother and the feeling would have happened either way. It didn't much matter which one he decided to leave behind... At least that is what Daryl told himself.

He sighed as he looked for something to eat as Merle took a piss.

"So how's Charlie?" He asked Daryl. He hadn't thought much about her while he was gone aside from thinking she had allowed that officer to leave him behind. She hadn't even tried to get him loose.

"She's okay. Missed ya I guess... She came with me to get ya back in Atlanta." Daryl told him as they soon found a small cabin nestled deep in the forest. They were still fairly close to Woodbury... It made Merle a little nervous. But he knew they had a few days while Woodbury attacked the prison.

"Too bad she left me to rot, little brother." Merle said bitterly.

"She didn't wanna leave ya. There were walkers comin' and she did what she had to. We both know you would have done the same." Daryl snapped harshly.

Merle chuckled. "Did ya fuck her yet?" His brother had been chasing the girl around almost his whole damn life. Merle knew it was nothing but trouble.

"Shut ya mouth and check the woods. We need to get some rest." Daryl finished, leaving his brother outside.

Merle snorted, checking the woods. He only found one lone walker as he put it down, stabbing it in the skull.

Daryl sat on the well-worn cotton sofa, hoping and praying that Charlie was alright. But he knew she wasn't. 'Forgive me, Charlie.' He thought, pained as he laid back on the sofa while Merle took the bed and fell into an uneasy sleep.

* * *

><p><em>Daryl was staring in horror at the ruins of the prison. Everyone was dead. Charlie was dead. Little Ass kicker...<em>

_"Charlie!" He called urgently as he searched through the rubble, pulling rocks away. He saw Carol's body a few feet away, a bullet hole in her forehead. He shrugged it off, continuing to pull at the rubble._

_"Charlie!" He yelled desperately, where the hell was she?_

_He swallowed back tears as he continued to look and that's when he saw her a few feet away... "CHARLIE!"_

_He ran to her and pulled her face out of the bloody water, her hair was soaked in liquid. There was a bite in her neck but he noticed a bullet wound in her head, staining her beautiful blonde hair with crimson._

_"Charlie? Charlie what did I do? Baby I'm so sorry." Daryl sobbed burying his face into her neck. She was so cold, her skin grey and her eyes blank and staring wide at the sky._

_"Wake up, wake up!" Daryl howled agonised as he rocked Charlie in his arms, her blood soaking his shirt._

_Charlie didn't respond, she was gone and it was all his fault... He hadn't been here to protect her and now she was gone._

_Daryl sobbed heart broken. He heard snarls and looked to see a walker stumbling towards him but he made no move to kill it. Why should he? He was alone. Merle had left him, his friends were dead and the woman he loved was dead in his arms as the walker tore into his shoulder._

_He hissed in pain before stabbing it in the head. Daryl tenderly picked up Charlie, she was so small in his arms as he carried her to the stream and from the corner of his eye he saw the sun rise._

_He leaned against a tree with Charlie in his arms, he stroked her cheek lovingly and pressed his lips to hers in a passionate, loving kiss._

_"I love ya Charlie, I'm comin' home sweetheart." He said taking out his pistol and closed his eyes as he kissed the woman he loved._

_He pulled the trigger._

* * *

><p>Daryl's head shot up, smashing into the window frame above where he had fallen asleep. He had been so exhausted. Raising his hand to his forehead he felt the large lump that began to grow there. Growling he swung around and jumped down off the window sill.<p>

"Come on little brother, smile. The Dixon brothers are back." Merle said, watching his younger brother get his things packed.

Daryl packed him things and followed his brother out of the small cabin and away from the forest.

Charlie was sitting down at the table in the cell block, sharpening her machete silently. Her emotions were a blur as she sharpened the blade. She could hear the others talking, the lack of privacy at the prison was the only she didn't enjoy about it.

"Daryl will come back." She said quietly, unaware that Beth had joined her at the table as she watched the older woman.

"He will, he loves you." Beth told her softly.

"I'm not sure he does." Charlie said quietly. "Besides Beth... It doesn't matter. He left me. Even if he did come back... I'm not so sure I would be able to trust him again."

"Oh." The small blonde said sadly. "I am on Judith duty tonight. You wanna join me?" Beth asked her.

"I'd like that, thanks Beth." Charlie said softly.

"Here, hold her." Beth said handing the child over. Charlie gently held Judith in her arms as the baby cooed at her adorably.

Daryl and Merle had travelling for a while, looking for something to eat. Merle messed around and Daryl kept on thinking about Charlie.

That was when he heard soft cries.

"Sounds like two animals are gettin' it on." Merle said leering as he rocked his hips and Daryl narrowed his eyes.

"That ain't an animal." He said hurrying to where the sounds were coming from and reached the highway, he then saw a Mexican family trying to fight off walkers. A small baby lay in the woman's arms crying loudly.

"Come on, let's get outta here before they notice us." Merle told Daryl, beginning to walk in the other direction.

But Daryl ignored him and made for the small family. He shot at the walkers that surrounded the woman one by one as they fell to the pavement. Merle caught on and began helping his brother.

Once they were all gone the Mexican family looked at them nervously. "Alright, free car." Merle said, pushing the woman and her child out of the car and down onto the highway. "Let's go Darylina."

"No." Daryl said coldly.

"What do you mean No?" Merle asked, confused. "You some kinda fruit now or something?"

"Who are you?" Daryl snapped. "Maggie! Glenn! I am starting to understand!" Daryl growled, pulling at Merle. "Get outta that car, don't... I am going back."

Merle was dragged out of the car, furious at his brother as he followed him through the woods leading to the prison, Merle was fuming as Daryl ranted.

"They had a baby, man!" He yelled angrily at his brother.

"So what, cause yer Rick's bitch, ya think ya can save everyone?" Merle yelled at him furiously.

Daryl ignored him as Merle continued to hurl insults at the prison group.

"Cause of that cop, I lost my motherfuckin' hand!" He snarled bitterly.

"Ya lost yer hand cause yer a simple minded piece of shit!" Daryl snarled angrily.

"YA DON'T KNOW JACK SHIT!" Merle yelled furiously and ripped the back of Daryl's shirt, exposing his scars. He silenced then. He had spent a lot of time overseas in the army. He hadn't been there for Daryl like he should have. But he hadn't known it was that bad. He sighed, "I just don't want ya to be upset if we get back there and your friends are gone."

"What the hell does that mean? They wouldn't just leave. It's safe there." Daryl told him, pulling his shirt back together. But it was a no go. The thing was ruined. He dropped his bag and replaced it with a different one.

"Ya think the men I worked with are just going to let your people get away like that? Thy killed people, scared them. The governor won't allow it to stand." Merle told Daryl. "He is sending men to take care of it."

"I'm goin' back there, where I belong." Daryl said emphasising _'belong'_. He then started walking as Merle watched him go in disbelief, shaking his head.

"I can't go back with ya, I nearly killed that damn Chinese kid!" He yelled frustrated.

"He's Korean!" Daryl yelled back and paused as he faced his brother. "I might be walkin' away, but yer the one that's leavin...Again." He said coldly and left.

Merle swore before following him. "Damnit!"


	14. Chapter 14 The Ties That Bind

Summary: When Daryl defends Charlene from his father's unwanted advances, they are pulled into a painful misunderstanding with the law and Will Dixon. Daryl/OC, Rick/Beth. AU at first but then moves into ZA. Co – Written with alycenwonder. Rated M for violence, language and sexual scenes.

**Special Thanks To: ****Daydreamer123****, Quest, Guest, ****WalkingPotterGirl14****, Kima Wolfwood, jeanf and ****missy7293****. You people rock. Read alycenwonder's story, A Walk In The Dark.**

Carrying On

Chapter 14

* * *

><p>Beth sat with Judith cuddled into her as the toddler played with her toys that the group had gotten her. Now they were under possible risk of attack, they needed to make sure they had everything.<p>

"We need to make sure everyone has a weapon." Rick said, watching as Beth rocked his daughter in her arms. From afar he could admire the way she took to motherhood so quickly. He scolded himself most days for noticing her more. But sometimes as a father he just couldn't help it.

The world was different now. He noticed that his people, his family had grown. Beth was one of those people. She was strong, courageous and beautiful. And she took care of his family as if they were hers.

"How are we going to be able to stand up to that many men Rick?" Carol asked concerned, "We are so few."

"This is our home. We stand and we fight."

"With what? We hardly have any ammo left. Not to mention we don't have a lot of men, if you haven't noticed." Glenn said snidely. The group glared at Glenn, not liking the man he was becoming. Particularly Maggie and Hershel.

"We'll need to go on a run and get more supplies." Charlie told him as she went outside to deal with the walkers that were up against the fence and pulled out her knife as she started stabbing them in the head, it helped her anger.

"No." Rick told her, hitting walkers through the fence line, "I can't afford to lose anyone right now. We all stay here. Hopefully we are wrong and Woodbury stays in Woodbury."

Charlie continued on taking out the walkers. She wasn't having the best week and even with their new home she didn't feel that safe.

* * *

><p>Daryl and Merle were close to the prison as gun shots rang out, echoing over the trees that surrounded them. "We gotta get there NOW!" Daryl yelled, running full speed towards his friends.<p>

By the time he got there he and Merle could see the Governor's men. They had driven through the fence, right onto the field. "You go that way." Daryl told Merle, pointing off the right. Daryl took the left.

He hurried quickly towards them, his heart pounding as he took out the walkers. The dead were swarming the once clear court yard.

He finally reached his people as he fired a bolt at one of the walkers that was behind Rick. He didn't doubt that he had upset everyone by leaving but he intended on staying this time around. He would make up for what he had done.

* * *

><p>There was a lot of screaming but Beth held the small child tightly against her chest in a small sling. With her other hand she shot her pistol in the direction of the men shooting at them. "There!" She shouted to Rick. "Behind the truck!" She watched as he nodded, running down the hill towards the man.<p>

T-Dog noticed Rick running towards the truck. He didn't see the two men hiding on the other side. Quickly he followed behind his leader, shooting towards them. As Rick reached the truck he heart two loud popping sounds. One hit the brown haired man in the head. The other he couldn't place.

"T-Dog!" Beth cried out.

Rick swung around coming face to face with a dead T-Dog.

"T!" Rick yelled, grabbing the man as he began to fall towards the grass. Another shot rang out hitting the other two men behind him. It had been Beth.

That was all the men. They had killed them all. And they had killed a dear friend. Rick was fuming.

"EVERYONE MOVE INTO THE PRISON!" Rick yelled out and the all nodded as they hurried into the prison.

They all hurried into the cell block as they saw Merle saunter in and he winked at Charlie.

Carol, Beth, Charlie and Hershel tended to wounds, making sure everyone was alright. "What now Rick? Because all I see now is a war!" Charlie snapped at their leader and friend.

"What did you expect him to do Charlie? Huh? Leave Maggie and I there? What if it had been you?" Glenn stood up for Rick.

"You told them where we were!" She slammed her hand down with a loud crack, hitting the metal table.

"ENOUGH!" Rick hollered. He had it. "That is enough. We would have done the same for any of you. If they come here and attack us... It's on them. I can't change that."

"Charlie maybe we need to take a walk?" Beth said calmly, touching Charlie's shoulder softly.

Charlie's eyes went to Daryl for a moment. She shot him a look of sadness before leaving with the blonde girl.

* * *

><p>Daryl watched her go silently feeling his heart ache, he had fucked up big time and now Charlie thought he was gonna run off again. He needed to make it up to her.<p>

"Merle's not staying here, we'll hand him over to the Governor." Glenn said fuming. "What he did to Maggie was horrible. He is a terrible person!"

Merle chuckled then. "I did less than they would have. I did enough... They left you alone because of me."

"Are you trying to justify what you did?" Maggie asked him. "You're disgusting."

"They would have done worse. I helped you." Merle snapped back.

"What would ya rather? Be raped or just have yer shirt off?" Merle asked coldly. Maggie stilled before shutting her mouth as Merle looked back at the brunette.

"Yeah, that's what I thought." He said darkly as he sat down in a chair and drank a bottle of water. Rick sighed, Merle was a loose cannon. He could have gotten them out of there without all the drama. But he didn't.

"Enough Glenn, Merle is staying." Daryl said warningly. "Is Charlie ok?" Daryl asked Rick who sighed.

"She's upset." He said shortly. "Look... We all forgive you Daryl. You are important to us, you know that. But at the same time I like to think of you as our family. So if you're back then I am happy. No hard feelings." Rick told Daryl. He patted the man on the back.

Daryl nodded in thanks as he went to look through the window. Beth, Judith and Charlie walked around the front yard as he watched quietly. He couldn't understand why he had to make these kind of choices. He loved her and he loved his brother. Why couldn't he have both?

"She missed you." Hershel told him as he came over as Daryl sighed. "She'll get over it. You'll get her back. Trust an old man."

"What can I do to make it up to her, Hershel?" He asked looking tired all of a sudden.

Hershel smiled gently. "Give her time. Tell her you're sorry. And prove you aren't going to leave again. At least not of your own will. She'll have to forgive you." Hershel pat Daryl's shoulder, comforting him. They had all seen how close the two had been getting. It wasn't like they were blind.

"Thanks." Daryl said, meaning it.

* * *

><p>Charlie, Beth and Judith walked quietly around the prison as Judith started falling asleep.<p>

Charlie thought of Daryl then. He was back. She wasn't so sure she was ready to talk about it.

"I know you're angry at him but to be fair, the others didn't give him a choice and he's back now. I doubt he'll leave you again." Beth said softly.

"That's not the point Beth..." Charlie sighed. Beth didn't sit up at night thinking of all the options Daryl would have had. One being; coming to get her.

Maybe he wanted her to be safe... But it wasn't enough. She looked at Beth before they went back inside for dinner. She pulled on a sweater as it was getting cold outside and saw Daryl sitting in her cell.

She quietly went inside and watched him. He looked tired and sad. Crossing her arms over her chest she asked him to leave, "Look Daryl. I am tired. Can we do this another time?" She asked him, wanting to avoid it all together.

"Yeah." He grunted, pushing up off her bed, "Just wanted ya to know I came back for ya. Ain't goin nowhere." He pushed past her, leaving her alone once again.

Charlie watched him go, feeling her heart hurt. She slid off her boots and got under the blanket to sleep. As the darkness claimed her she dreamt of Daryl and the good times.

* * *

><p>The next morning was quiet, everyone did their jobs. Daryl was watching Judith while Beth and Charlie bathed down at the creek.<p>

Judith played with a teddy bear as Daryl watched over her. She was their hope in this cold cruel dead world. He watched her with a smile as she played with her teddy bear.

"I've made a big mistake Little Asskicker. I ain't sure how to fix it." He said quietly.

* * *

><p>The group sat together the next few nights for supper. Only two of them were left out to keep watch in the tower. But they got on with things. But the looming thought that the people from Woodbury would be back sat on all their shoulders. Some didn't sleep.<p>

Charlie was one of them, she couldn't sleep at all. After pulling on a sweater over her tank top she went outside. She found Merle in the watch tower, he was smoking a joint as he leaned his body against the rough rock walls.

"Funny, yer the girl I've been lookin' for." Merle said giving her a grin. She looked at him quietly before sitting down beside him, her machete in a black holster on her hip.

"What's up Merle?" She asked calmly as she pulled out a cigarette and started smoking.

"Need to talk about Daryl, sugar."

"Don't much want to talk about Daryl, Merle." She said back, blowing a cloud of smoke in his face as she too leaned against the cold rock. "Don't want to talk about any of this shit."

"We are gonna be going to war soon. Ya gotta understand Char. This is it for you." Merle said. He planned on fixing all that he could before he left this group. One of those things was what happened with Daryl.

"I know that. I accept it. I've been alone for five years, what's a few more days?"

"It is a lot, ya gotta give him a chance Charlie." Merle said firmly before walking away, leaving Charlie alone before she called out to him.

"I said I don't want to talk about it. Change the subject of fuck off Merle." She growled angrily. "It's mine and his business. I am honestly sick of people talking to me about it."

* * *

><p>The next morning, Merle was gone with Michonne. Apparently the Governor at that moment was offering Rick a deal in which he would leave them alone in exchange for Michonne and Rick had surprisingly agreed. No one else had.<p>

Daryl had gone to find Merle and found Michonne walking towards him, neither bound nor gagged. She spotted him rather fast. Daryl was a filled with emotion as he took on a group of walkers.

"Hey, where's my brother?!" He yelled at her trying to mask his fear.

"He let me go." Michonne told him quietly.

Daryl felt dread creep inside him then as he started running towards the feed store.

"Don't let anyone come after me!" He yelled to her.

* * *

><p>The sound of Slayer rang out over a large empty lot. The dead were all over. And Merle among them, shambling along by his car, snapping and clawing.<p>

Daryl couldn't move as he stayed on his knees. His brother was dead. Dead. Merle. But why? Why had he done it? Daryl just couldn't understand any of it.

Then it hit him. The way he had been acting this morning with Daryl, saying that he was looked at like the devil by the group... At least aside from Beth and Charlie... Daryl felt tears slide down his face then.

Merle growled at him and stumbling forwards. Daryl shoved him away numbly as he felt numbness rush through him. Merle went at him again as Daryl felt rage seep into his blood.

"NO!" He yelled stabbing Merle in the head repeatedly, angry sobs ripping through him before he slumped on the grass beside his brother and took a shaky breath in. This wasn't happening, was it?

He then saw seven of the Woodbury soldiers dead on the grass, Merle had done that. He had sacrificed himself to save them all. He silently went into the feed store and found a blanket wrapping Merle in it before placing him in the back of the car. Daryl then turned off the radio and swallowed before driving back to the prison, his hands gripping the steering wheel tightly.

He was alone now, the last of his family gone. He had nothing left.

_'Ya Got Charlie.'_ A voice in his head said, but Daryl pushed it away. Charlie didn't want him and he understood even though it shattered him. Rick and Carl let him inside the prison as the others hurried and he saw Charlie.

Daryl kept silent as he spotted Glenn and felt anger run through him. His brother had sacrificed himself because of Glenn. He kept quiet as he took out Merle's blanket covered body as he saw Carol gasp. Beth looked upset but he kept silent as he carried Merle's body to where the others were buried, and started digging as Glenn approached.

"I can help." Glenn offered, reaching for a shovel.

"I DON'T NEED YER FUCKIN' PITY. YA NEVER LIKED HIM! YOU AND MAGGIE WANTED HIM DEAD! WELL YA GOT LUCKY, DIDNT YA?!" Daryl yelled furiously as he turned his back on an ashamed guilt ridden Glenn. Everyone watched him bury Merle from a distance, understanding he was upset...

"Not all of us hated him, Daryl." Carl said quietly.

Daryl said nothing as he continued to dig a grave for Merle and the others left aside from Charlie, Beth, Hershel, Carl, Judith and Rick. He knew they cared as he gently placed Merle's body in the grave.

Charlie wordlessly handed over a small wooden cross. She had fiddled aimlessly on the grassy floor for thirty minutes to make it. But she didn't say anything to Daryl. She was upset for Merle but also upset with Daryl.

"He was a hand full. But you loved him. I am so sorry Daryl." Rick told Daryl.

"Yeah me too." Daryl said numbly as he looked at the grave of his last family member. The others gave Daryl their condolences before leaving. Daryl stayed with his brother, shattered.

Charlie felt torn, she didn't want to leave Daryl alone as she watched him sit at Merle's grave. She may be angry at him but God, she couldn't leave him like this.

"I'm sorry brother, I shoulda tried harder." Daryl said brokenly.

She stood up off the soil floor and wiped her blistered hands on her jeans. "Come inside Daryl. Sleep." She told him. She turned and left, hoping that he would listen.

* * *

><p>Daryl didn't want to leave but the Governor would be coming soon. He squeezed the cross, promising to avenge Merle. He felt tired, old and very empty these days. This only added to that.<p>

What did he have left to fight for? Merle was dead and Charlie hated him. He quietly went inside the cell block and onto his spot on the perch.

He looked aimlessly around at the others as they packed the supplies away. He stood up and packed away his things, some shirts, jeans and his poncho.

He didn't look away when he made eye contact with Charlie, he looked right at her. He wished she would understand that he wasn't going anywhere this time. He was there to stay.

* * *

><p>"He's just gonna come back Rick. We are sitting ducks." Dale told their leader. He was happy to have been rescued from Woodbury. When the Governor had found out his feelings towards Andrea they had locked him away.<p>

Rick thought about his old friend's words. He was right. They could stay and maybe, just maybe they would find peace. But the group with guns could come back. Then people would die. He couldn't have that.

"I have an idea." Michonne s as everyone stared up at her.

"What is it?" Rick asked curiously.

"We could make out we left, but attack them. Leave traps or whatever." She suggested.

Rick liked the idea.

"We'll get right on it." Rick said nodding as everyone started working on the plan, setting out the traps. Charlie went outside to make sure they had wooden planks so they could take cover in case they were fired at. They would definitely be fired at.

She saw Daryl come out and go towards the tombs so he could lure walkers there. Even though she was angry and bitter at him she felt for him, truly she did. He had just lost Merle and if that wasn't bad enough, he'd been put him down.

Life was so short these days.

* * *

><p>From the corner of her eye Charlie saw Carol talking to Daryl. She was offering Daryl her hand, helping him with his bike. As the group climbed into their cars they readied themselves for war.<p>

They found their usual place in the woods before climbing out. They had to get ready to set up traps leading to the prison. That way when the men came to fight they would lose a few on the way. Rick only hoped it would be enough.

The battle was long and arduous. The group gained people and lost people. But the people they gained were plenty. At least twenty women, men and children. All ready and willing to leave the Governor's angry rule. But the group saved their home. Now all they could do was try to keep it safe.


	15. Chapter 15 Mine

Summary: When Daryl defends Charlene from his father's unwanted advances, they are pulled into a painful misunderstanding with the law and Will Dixon. Daryl/OC, Rick/Beth. AU at first but then moves into ZA. Co – Written with alycenwonder. Rated M for violence, language and sexual scenes.

**Special Thanks To: ****Daydreamer123****, Quest, Guest, ****WalkingPotterGirl14****, Kima Wolfwood, jeanf and ****missy7293****. You people rock. Read alycenwonder's story, A Walk In The Dark.**

Carrying On

Chapter 15

* * *

><p><strong>2 months later: <strong>

It was hot again as Rick worked the fields. They had been growing their own food and keeping animals. It was all working out very well for them at the prison. After they gained new people they were able to accomplish so much more. Rick decided to take a step back as leader for a while, handing over the reins to Daryl, Carol, Charlie and Glenn. They would collaborate still but he liked to think he was on vacation.

Charlie didn't know how she felt about Rick's absence lately. Even with everyone having a little more of a say she missed Rick's rule. He was a good fair leader. He did what had to be done in order for things to go their way. They came out on top. She sighed as she wiped the beads of sweat off her brow. It was so bloody hot out these days that a wife beater and shorts was her only option. At least as long as she was within prison walls.

The group had a sort of code these days. If you went out beyond the walls you covered up. You wore long sleeves and pants, no ifs ands or buts. You wore boots. You tied your hair back and that was it. Safety first, always.

"Hot day." Rick said to her. He knew the council had asked him for a favour. This was the only way for them now.

"Yep, seems like it always is these days." There was no escape from the rays of the sun.

"Look... The council had a meeting last night while you were on watch. Michonne is on a run with Maggie... But we need you to make a different one... With Daryl." They were in dire need of gas and medicine. The surrounding areas had been picked too clean. There was nothing. If they wanted anything useful they would have to drive three towns over.

"What?" She asked him, shocked. Rick and the rest knew how she had been avoiding him. Daryl and her were history, nothing more. She didn't forgive him.

"I know it's awkward but you and Daryl are the only ones quiet enough to pull this off. In and out without any noise. You can do this Charlie."

"Alright, I'll do it. But I won't enjoy it." Charlie muttered to Rick as she glanced at Daryl. He was smoking a cigarette as he waited for Charlie. He knew they had to do this, but still it made him nervous. He hadn't been able to milk one word from her since he had come back. He hated the distant coldness she exuded.

He had become more of a member to his group after Merle died. He felt better about himself. But he couldn't shake the feeling he got when his eyes met hers.

Charlie looked at Rick before leaving, "This really has to be it?" She asked him.

"Be safe." Rick told her, smiling softly. "There isn't much more I can say. We have to be able to work together."

"We will be." Charlie said softly. She headed past Daryl and into the prison. She changed her outfit from shorts to some black fitted jeans. Then she pulled her boots back on and tied up her hair in a messy bun. Grabbing her weapon she made for the parking lot.

* * *

><p>Charlie could feel the wind blow over her hot skin and it was a soothing. They drove away and searched for a town that hadn't been picked clean by other people. This meant a long, long trip gripping close to Daryl. She hated that she missed this. But she held strong and leaned back so that she held only his hips and touched nothing else.<p>

Daryl was silent as they drove down the highway. The wind was blowing his now long hair into his face but he didn't mind. He had what he had wanted for so long; a chance to make amends.

After what seemed like an hour on the roads they finally found a small town exit. Most likely they would not return that day, but instead the next. That meant he had a full night to win her over.

"Here." She grumbled, tapping his shoulder. He pulled around onto a small dirt road that lead off into a suburb of sorts. Nothing like where they had grown up. The people around here had money. He stopped the bike, hiding it behind a small blue shed on the outskirts of a gated community. Here they could be safe and find what they needed. At least Daryl hoped so.

They started looking around for supplies as they searched the first house. Thankfully they found a few helpful items. She realised that without a truck they wouldn't be bringing much back so she decided at some point she would find a proper vehicle for them.

Charlie found some bottles of Tylenol, and bandages in a small cabinet tucked away behind a bathroom door. She scored some feminine products as well. She smiled to herself knowing that this would please some of the ladies she had to live with. These days this stuff was like gold.

Daryl was downstairs checking the pantry when he finally heard her feet plunk towards him. "We need a truck."

"I agree." He said, trying hard to agree with her. But she was right, they would need better transportation. That way they could bring back more. "I am sure we can find something."

"Right." She said, dropping her bag of goodies at his feet. "I think we better speed this up. We need to finish at least two more houses before setting up camp for the night."

They left the house and started looking around the others when they saw a garage of a small red house was open. Daryl and Charlie moved towards it. Upon closer observation it revealed a large black truck.

Although they didn't find any medicine aside from some Advil they also found plenty of blankets. Not that they really needed them much now. But it never hurt to be prepared.

The sun was low in the sky when Charlie finally stopped her searching. "We should stay there." She said, pointing off into the distance. There on a large hill lay a gigantic white plantation house. As they grew closer they could see just how high the fences around it were. Maybe they would both get some rest tonight.

They climbed the large black gate and made their way up the long drive way. Once there Daryl picked the lock and they shimmied inside. While they were here she hoped they could find a little bit more. Locked doors could mean no one had searched this place yet.

* * *

><p>Two hours went by before Daryl decided he just couldn't handle the silence any more. "Ya just gonna keep ignoring me?" He asked her, crossing his arms over his chest grumpily.<p>

"No, I'm not ignoring you. I just don't have anything to say." Charlie answered calmly as she rummaged through the cupboards in the kitchen. She pulled down a few cans, setting them on the counter.

"I didn't wanna leave ya Char but they wouldn't let me come back with Merle." Daryl snapped fed up of her coldness towards him. She turned to look at him.

"You don't think that maybe you could have at least come and told me? Merle could have waited!" She snapped back angrily. "You and I... We." She motioned from Daryl back to herself, "We! Dammit Daryl! Don't you get that?"

"YES!" She had to admit when he got angry she grew weak at the knees. But this time was different. She was pissed right the hell off. "I get what I did okay? I think about it every second!"

"GOOD! You should!"

"Can't you just forgive me? At least be friends with me again?" He pleaded with his eyes hoping she would take pity on him. He really was sorry.

She glared back at his sad eyes. She hated those damn sad eyes. "How can I just forget Daryl? We were together... At least I thought we were. I know you get how big of a step that was for us, for you!" Daryl didn't do love.

"I do love ya. I wanted to be with ya! Damn ya Charlie!" Daryl said angrily as he moved towards her and pressed her against the kitchen counter, she could feel his hot breath on her face. Her chest moved up and down roughly.

"THEN WHY DIDN'T YA COME BACK FOR ME AND TAKE ME WITH YOU?!" Charlie screamed the question she had asked herself a thousand times again and again.

"I WANTED YA TO BE SAFE! THE GROUP COULD PROTECT YA!" He yelled in her face. They were both red faced as he held onto the counter behind her tightly, his knuckled going white from the force of it. Charlie grew dead silent as she looked him right in the eyes.

Daryl dropped his angry face to her neck biting roughly on the skin there as he inhaled her scent. She always smelled of Nag Champa and saw dust. He loved it. He could hear her whimper, leaning her neck back.

Charlie wasn't expecting Daryl to be so rough with her. But she didn't mind it. In fact she wanted it after all the time apart. She yearned for his touch on her skin. He bit hard before kissing the numb skin at her throat. His hands moved from the counter, towards her ass as he lift her up off the ground.

Charlie wrapped her legs around his waist. She could feel his cock through his jeans pressing against her throbbing wet sex as he shoved her onto the counter top.

She looked down at him, letting their foreheads touch momentarily. She ran both her hands up through his long brown hair.

Daryl's rough hand raked over her shoulder, peeling her leather coat from her hot skin. His hard fingers sprawled across the back of her exposed neck, reaching their way into her hair as the jacket dropped onto the tile floor.

"We should go upstairs," she whispered, looking into the grey of his eyes.

"Naw." His hand left her waist and ran across her hips. He gripped the black jeans she wore before pulling them done to the floor at his feet. "Here's good."

"Kay." She muttered as his lips began to slide over her own once again. He moved quickly after that, his hands slipping into her panties. He massaged her wet folds as he kissed her ravenously.

She held her breath because crying out would draw attention. He knew, and clamped an iron palm over her back. He didn't care if she screamed. He waited his whole life for this moment. "Daryl, stop it!" She moaned, pulling at his zipper. This time he decided he would let her.

She pulled the stupid thing down and pulled his body flush with hers. Moving her lips back a moment so she could look at him. They were both breathing heavily. "Please?" She asked him.

He didn't wait, his hand slipped between them as he filled her with one swift motion. Her hands gripped his sides tightly as he tore through her innocence. But it was his to take. It always had been. She lay her head on his shoulder as they both stood there stiff, not moving.

"Daryl!" She finally said, rocking her hips. With a loud grunt he pulled out and rammed back into her. He hadn't been ready for just how amazingly soft and wet she would be. He felt weak and strong all at the same moment. Like he was going to come apart. But he moved in and out any ways. His pace grew faster as her hands and legs tightened around his hips.

"D!" She cried out loudly, her neck falling back as she lost control in his arms.

"Oh god... Char!" He growled, letting his head fall back to her neck. Then with one hard thrust he came apart inside the woman he loved.

"I love ya, Charlie." He whispered huskily as he stayed inside her. He was starting to get hard again and Charlie simply looked at him with beautiful, loving blue eyes. She cupped his right stubbly cheek tenderly.

"I love you too, Daryl." She said softly kissing him again. She was in a daze as Daryl carried her up the spiral staircase and into the first room with a bed that he could find.

* * *

><p>They rested a while feeling safe enough to do so behind the large fence. Charlie's eye fluttered open to see Daryl lying next to her. He was awake and looking back at her. "Hey." She said nervously, reaching out and taking his hand as she yawned.<p>

"Ya slept a long time." Daryl said to her as he watched her yawn. He had noticed her lack of sleep the last few months. He worried about her often.

"Did I? How long?" She asked. She felt relaxed, that was for sure.

"Couple hours."

"Mmm... Good." She muttered, rolling onto his chest. She snuggled into him and ran her fingers up his chest.

Daryl sighed against her soft gentle hands. He could see the way the white cotton sheets clung to her small body as she smiled up at him. He smiled back.

He leaned down and kissed her then, his tongue brushing hers intently as he cupped the back of her neck. She shimmied up further so that she was leaning over top of him, her long blonde hair touching the bed. "This is big isn't it?" She asked as she moved away to look at him. "All this."

"Whatever." He laughed deep in his chest, shaking her a bit.

"Well it is! I never saw us getting here D." She had always thought that what they had was it. He wasn't into being touched. She would have taken just that if it was all he had to give her. She loved him.

He ran his hand down her side before rolling her onto her back. He trailed his hand down her shirt before running it up and under the dark fabric. They hadn't spent a whole lot of time just touching each other before. He felt as if there were a million things he wanted from her.

He wanted to make her moan his name as he fucked her from behind. He wanted to her to ride him and more than anything he wanted to taste her, taste her arousal and touch her beautiful body.

"Yer so beautiful, Char." He said softly as he traced his hands over her soft body. He pulled at her top grumpily, trying to remove it. Charlie laughed before pulling it up over her head.

"Come here caveman." Charlie said kissing him as she wrapped her legs around his waist.

Daryl was a bit uneasy about undressing anywhere these days. If you had to run you wouldn't have time to pull your shit back on. But he had to have her naked at least once.

Charlie shimmied out of her jeans once again, leaving her in nothing but her bra. Under wear had become hard to come by recently. She had hoped that this trip to the city would mean new under wear. She ran her hands up Daryl's strong shoulders before running them up and inside his shirt. She felt him stiffen slightly so she looked up into his eyes. "Everything alright?" She asked.

"S'gonna take some gettin used to." He told her as he dropped his lips to her bare chest.

"I'm not going to hurt you." Charlie said softly. He grunted and pulled his shirt off as Charlie started unbuckling his jeans. Charlie watched him with soft glowing eyes as he placed kisses down her body.

He placed soft kisses on her body and saw a tattoo of three black tattoos in black ink across her right hip, it contrasted against her pale skin. "I got that when I graduated medical school." Charlie told him softly.

"It looks good on ya." He said huskily as he nudged her legs apart.

Charlie blushed softly, looking at him. She watched in delight as he buried his face between her legs. She hadn't expected to cry out as he licked her wet heat and rocked against his face.

Daryl grunted softly as he licked her greedily. Growling low in his throat he played with her right breast. She was all his, his woman. Finally.

* * *

><p>Charlie sighed as she stared out the large bay window of the house. She felt as though she never wanted to leave this place. Her and Daryl were in a different world here. But she knew they had to get back to reality. To the prison.<p>

"Everything is packed up." Daryl said from the doorway behind her.

"Alright, let's move out." Charlie said giving him a soft smile.

She rested her head against Daryl's vest as they drove. The wind sending a soothing breeze across her hot skin. Charlie couldn't be happier for once. After all they had been through they had been given a break from it all.

Charlie noticed that there was a build up at the fences again as the others let them into the prison ground. Only this time there was a lot more heading towards block D.

* * *

><p>Beth came over with Judith nestled in her arms as they hugged, "You got a good haul?" Beth asked smiling as she helped them. Beth half listened to the two as she watched Rick out of the corner of her eye.<p>

She had spent enough time around the man recently because of his child. Her child. At least it certainly felt that way. Yes they were all family now but it was different with Judith. Beth woke up to feed her every few hours. Beth changed her and loved her. It was as if she had her own child without the birth aspects.

The little girl was precious to her. She smiled down at Judith. The small girl had begun to grow up before her eyes. She knew that if she had to she would protect her as any mother would. She drew her eyes from the small girl, a small smile still plastered on her face as she noticed Rick once again.

His eyes were always sad since the death of his wife. Beth got it, they were family. Even if they weren't getting along so well in her final days. She was the mother of his children... Her smile faltered as she thought about Lori. Was it horrible that she was glad? The woman was awful... And even though she cared for his family she felt it was better in a way... That the small, tired, starving woman was dead?

She felt horrible for even thinking like that. She was raised to be a caring person wasn't she? Rick had a hard time being around Judith at first. But Beth had noticed the man had taken a bigger role lately. He took Judith some nights along with Carl. But they always came back to her...

"Are you okay, Beth?" Rick asked, shocking her once again out of her daze. The girl had stepped up. She took on his child and in a small way his family. He stayed up most nights thinking about it. Did she expect something of him? She was so young in comparison. Or maybe he told himself that so that he wouldn't think about how beautiful she was.

"Yep, just taking it all in you know?" Beth said, smiling softly.

Rick nodded in understanding. They had certainly come a long way with the prison. It was now a thriving community.

"I'll see you at dinner?" Rick asked softly. He felt a little nervous as he looked down into her blue eyes. Why? He wasn't so sure. He wasn't ready to admit anything just yet. For now it was a mystery.

* * *

><p>Charlie ate her supper quietly by herself as she watched the large group. The camp wasn't amazing, but it was thriving. But in the back of her mind she felt as if it wasn't meant to last.<p> 


	16. Chapter 16 Chaos

Summary: When Daryl defends Charlene from his father's unwanted advances, they are pulled into a painful misunderstanding with the law and Will Dixon. Daryl/OC, Rick/Beth. AU at first but then moves into ZA. Co – Written with alycenwonder. Rated M for violence, language and sexual scenes.

**Special Thanks To: ****Daydreamer123****, Quest, Guest, ****WalkingPotterGirl14****, Kima Wolfwood, jeanf and ****missy7293****. You people rock. Read alycenwonder's story, A Walk In The Dark.**

Carrying On

Chapter 16

* * *

><p>Beth's eyes shot open as her bed creaked inward. "S'okay Beth, just me." Charlie told her, giggling as she lay back next to the girl. Judith lay asleep in a small laundry basket filled with soft blankets on the floor next to them.<p>

"Ya scared me." Beth smacked her friend on the arm. "What do you want?"

"Just checkin in on ya. Wondering if there might be something you wanna talk about?" Charlie said, a large grin spread across her face. She had noticed upon her return that the small girl glared an awful lot at their good leader.

"What the hell does that even mean? I am fine." Beth sighed.

"I'm not stupid Beth." Charlie said amused as she looked at her friend. "Rick."

Beth felt her cheeks heat up at that and looked at her imploringly. "Please don't tell daddy or Maggie! They'll kill me if they find out I have feelings for Rick..." Beth said burying her face into her hands.

"That sort of thing doesn't matter so much these days Beth. Don't you think that maybe you could be wrong?" She pointed out softly. "Rick is an honourable man. He is our leader but at the same time our family."

"Yes well... Family or not he and I are not meant to be." Beth told her friend.

"You never know unless you try Beth... Honey?" Charlie watched Beth from where she lay.

"So did you and Daryl make up?" Beth asked hoping that her two friends were finally getting along after months of not speaking to each other.

"We slept together." Charlie sputtered, quickly looking towards the doorway. She knew Daryl wouldn't want people to know about their personal shit. He was a private man. She pushed her luck just by telling Beth.

"You what! Really? Shit..." The blonde laughed.

"Yah well... Long time coming I guess." Charlie said patting Beth on the arm. "You should talk to Rick."

"Yah I know. I just feel like maybe I should spend a little more time with him first. Get to know him a bit better ya know?" Beth said.

"You can. But eventually you are going to have to spill. We are a small group, even with the newbies. Who knows who he may spend time with?" Charlie was referring to Michonne. Even though the two hadn't spent a lot of time together she had noticed the woman's friendly nature towards the man.

"Well if he met someone else... I wouldn't be much competition would I?"

"You need to toughen up. Believe in yourself." Charlie said seriously and Beth nodded as she bit her lip and looked at the older woman.

"But what if Rick doesn't like me?" She asked worried that she was reading too much into her and Rick's relationship.

"Trust me honey when I say this... How can he not?"

* * *

><p>"The rats were just lying there? Dead?" Glenn grimaced as he stared down into the bag of dead rodents that Rick was carrying. "Why? I mean why were they there?"<p>

"Someone was feeding them. There isn't really any other explanation." Rick whispered to the Korean man. He had decided during the last few weeks that it was time to step back up. Get involved once again. He missed the man he had been before his wife died.

But this was a bit different. Rick wasn't the same. He knew now what this world really was. "What do you want to do about it?" Glenn asked. The thought of it made his stomach turn.

"Get everyone in the canteen. We're having an emergency meeting." Rick told him. Glenn nodded as he went to gather everyone. He remembered the dead mutilated rats that were in the bag, his stomach churning. Whoever had done this was screwed up.

"Glenn and I found out the reason for the walkers building up at the fences." Rick said calmly as he held up the bag of dead rats. He dropped it onto the concrete floor nearby them.

"Someone's been feedin' them at the fences." Glenn said coldly as he looked at the small council.

"Who would do that?" Charlie asked horrified.

"We don't know." Rick told her.

"Does this mean something Rick?" Carol asked him curiously. "I don't mean to be rude... But you haven't really been taking much of a role as leader lately. Are you back?"

"I don't know how to answer that Carol. I know that I scared you all for a while... It took me a while. But I think I am ready to step up and lend a hand. We need to figure this out." Rick said. He shifted back and forth on his feet as he normally would. Charlie smiled.

* * *

><p>Things had been going too well Charlie now realized. She and Hershel met the others in the library. Shortly after the group had talked about the rats this illness had broken out. It struck Charlie... Her life wasn't meant to be bliss. None of theirs did.<p>

There was some sort of infection spreading around the prison and Karen, David and two more people had it and were now in quarantine. Needless to say they were all in deep shit.

"The infection is spreading. Everyone who survived the cell block attack is now sick." Hershel said gravely.

"Jesus." Daryl muttered to Hershel and Rick.

"So what do we do?" Charlie asked worriedly as she watched the others. Hershel sighed heavily rubbing his aged forehead.

"We need more medicine, we're running low on antibiotics." He said when they all heard an agonised wail echoing from cell block A.

"That was Tyresse." Rick said worriedly.

They all hurried towards where the cries were coming from finding two bodies that had been set fire to. Stab marks on the bodies were obvious. None of them could believe what they were seeing. Someone had murdered Karen and David.

"This is shit." Charlie muttered as she watched Daryl from her cell. She lean against the frame. Daryl was on the perch like normal.

"We gotta make a run. People are going to die." He felt awkward since they had left the large house. It had been a good two days for him but it hadn't lasted. Not in the way she had wanted. He knew that.

"Well... Then we need to fix it." Charlie nodded, crossing her arms over her chest.

It was easy to say, "Hey let's go on a run." But life out here wasn't as easy as all that. Who knew what they would find? People? Medicine? Nothing? He ran his hand up over his face in aggravation. Every option they had led to something bad. He was struggling.

"I'll talk with Rick. Plan to leave tonight." They didn't have time to sit around.

* * *

><p>Two hours later Daryl, Charlie, Tyrese, Michonne and Bob were getting ready to leave.<p>

"Charlie we need you here. I'm sure Daryl will be fine." Carol said calmly. Carol had seen the two get closer by the day. But life wasn't about love and roses anymore. They needed to do what was best for everyone. They all knew that sacrifice kept them alive.

Charlie felt annoyed but knew it was best. "You be safe okay?" Charlie said seriously. Daryl smiled at her as he kissed her gently and rested his forehead against hers for a minute.

"Ya be careful, stay with Beth...I love ya woman." He said softly. He hadn't talked with her that much the last week. Not since their excursion. But he knew they were okay.

"Get outta here cave man." She said back, slapping his shoulder. Daryl left her and Carol. Hopefully he would come back with medicine.

Charlie watched him go and went to help Beth pack up. They were being moved into the reception area which had been turned into small rooms. Charlie was sharing with Beth, Judith, and Carl. It would be tight but that was the way of things.

She couldn't help but think about who had killed Karen and David? And why? Had it been done out of malice? Or fear of spreading the infection to others? She couldn't be sure.

Either way, Charlie and Beth carried their things into the reception area. Mattresses had been placed on the floor for them.

"Mind sharing?" She asked Beth who smiled and shook her head. They made the room comfortable and Charlie looked through the tinted window to see that Daryl and the small group was pulling away. She hoped he would be safe.

* * *

><p>It was late when Beth lay Judith with Charlie. She hadn't had a chance for a shower the last few days and decided that the night was clear enough. She walked alone down the dark corridors towards their camping showers.<p>

She was sure she was alone when she slipped through the metal doors. Closing them behind herself she dropped her bags and undressed. Letting her hair down she filled the camping shower with water that she had heated on the fire and climbed underneath.

The stream of water wasn't much but it did the trick. The bags the group had found were quite large and held enough for a ten minute rinse. Beth hummed a tune, allowing it to echo off the brick around her.

She scrubbed thoroughly, feeling a sense of peace wash over her. She sighed in relief once she had washed her hair. She leaned back against the cold stone as a creak filled the silence around her. Her eyes shot up in fear, landing on a shocked Rick Grimes.

Rick stopped in the open doorway, eyes wide as he glared at Beth. He had tried his best the past few weeks to push the idea of the young girl out of his head. But standing there, looking at her he couldn't stop. He was unable to move.

"Turn around!" She stammered, wrapping her arms around her breasts the best she could. But it was too late, he had a full damn show! "Rick!" She all but shouted at him as she reached for her towel. Her face was hot and her cheeks as she scrambled to cover herself.

"Uh... Sorry I uh... I'll go." He said quickly, realizing his mistake. He shut the door and leaned against the hallway, exhaling deeply. His heart was pounding. Guilt washed over him then. Thinking of Lori and what she would say. The girl was so young... He was a married man.

It wasn't that easy to forget... "You aren't married anymore." He muttered. This was something he repeated to himself often. 'Jesus Christ.' He thought glumly as he went to check where Carol was and found her waiting at the car.

* * *

><p>Daryl drove to the veterinary college silently as Michonne sat in the passenger seat. Bob and Tyresse sat in the back. The silence was making Daryl uneasy so he turned on the radio. This wasn't normal for them; the radio. They tried hard to stay vigilant at all times. But tonight was different for whatever reason.<p>

_"Sanctuary...Those who arrive...Survive."_ A woman's voice cracked through the radio on the car.

"Was that a voice?" Bob asked startled as he bent forwards to get closer to the noise.

Daryl rubbed a hand over his face as he readied himself to pull over. A loud crash rang out as he swerved to avoid them. They stopped dead. The truck puttered and died out taking the lights with them.

"We gotta move!" Michonne said sternly, touching Daryl's shoulder. They started to get out but Tyresse remained still and unmoving.

Michonne took out a walker with her sword as more walkers stumbled towards them. She didn't know if they would survive this time. She never did really. Hope was all they had. That and Daryl Dixon.

"Ty!" Bob called out to him. Tyresse blinked a minute before quickly getting out of the car behind them. He started taking out the swarm of walkers with his hammer as everyone looked at him worriedly. It was anger written on his face and he smashed at the dead.

"GO!" He yelled out fiercely. He hoped that they would get away and his death would mean something. It was all he had left.

Bob tried to run to him but Michonne and Daryl stopped him. They couldn't die trying to stop a man who wanted death. They ran into the forest.

They took out the lone walkers as they ran through the forest. Daryl stopped them hearing something behind him. The group raised their weapons, eyeing the sounds location. Tyresse stumbled out of the bushes covered in walker guts, his chest rising and falling heavily.

"C'mon. We can't stand around here staring like old women. We need a place for the night." Daryl told them quickly as he and Bob helped the man to his feet. They all followed after Michonne.

After a good ten minutes they could see the abandoned highway again beyond the trees. The herd was hopefully far enough away that the small stream they could just make out would be safe enough for the time being.

Tyresse walked over to wash up as Daryl filled up the water bottles. But all Daryl could think about was what the hell they would do now? They wouldn't make it on time now that their truck was ruined. They had no fuel and no ride... Hopefully Rick wouldn't send anyone after them.

They eventually found a small abandoned house in the brush. It wasn't tall but it was shelter. Ivy crawled up its sides like spiders in the darkness as they stood and stared up at it.

"What is that?" Michonne asked Daryl, pointing to a large object next to it, also covered in the ivy.

Tyresse hacked at it furiously, his face dark with anger as he smashed at the vines, prying them away. Underneath sat a blue truck. Daryl could almost smile as he reached for the handle. "It's got gas."

Just as he grabbed the fuel tank, walkers crashed through the wood knocking Daryl on his back. He landed hard on the gravel below as he shoved his knife into the walker's skull.

"Do you have a death wish?" She asked Tyresse angrily. But he ignored her. He had lost the one thing keeping him alive these past few months. What did he have to live for now? His sister? No... She would be safe with these people. She didn't need him anymore.

* * *

><p>Rick arrived at the prison in silence stopping at the car. He took a deep breath in... He had left Carol behind. What she had done made sense to him. But to Tyresse it would not. She killed two of their people. The right thing to do was to send her away.<p>

He sat back against the cold leather and looked back at the road left behind. It was a sunny day, nothing special. One just like any other. But his people were dying and here he was. Dealing with Carol. This was not how all this was meant to be.

He shook his head and got out of the car. Stepping out onto the gravel he saw Maggie come over from the watch tower doors. "Daryl and the others?" He asked her. Maggie shook her head.

"Where's Carol?" Maggie asked curiously.

Rick wondered how he was going to explain this. Carol had murdered Karen and David so the infection wouldn't spread. He looked at Maggie and sighed heavily before speaking. "She killed Karen and David."

"She what? Why?" Maggie stammered unsure of his answer. Carol hadn't hurt anyone in the time they had known her. Now this?

"She thought that she was saving us. Saving those girls." He ran his hand over his face in exasperation. "I had to send her away. It was the right thing."

Maggie nodded, running her hands up through her hair. He was right to do it, she knew that. He was a good and just leader to them all. She was sure any other would have killed her. But that is why they all stayed with Rick. They knew he truly cared.

* * *

><p>It had been hours since they had seen Rick and Beth was getting worried. Walkers were building up at the fence again, only this time it was worse. The fences creaked as they twisted and bent beneath the weight of the dead pressing on them.<p>

The fences were breaking. "What do we do?" Beth whispered quietly as she picked up Judith who was fast asleep. Charlie joined her side and looked at the scene outside.

"Stay here okay? I'm going to help Rick and Carl." Charlie told Beth as she started opening the door.

"I'm going with you." Beth said firmly, strapping Judith to her in a sling. They hurried outside and joined Rick and Carl as they took down the walkers.

"This can't be happening right now! If we have to run what will Daryl and the others do? We can't just leaver here." Beth said as she stabbed at walkers through the moving fence.

"We aren't leaving until we see their faces. We hold up in the prison until then. But first we thin the lines." Rick told her. He was amused watching as the small blonde stabbed walkers strapped tightly to his small daughter. They all had a new view of what was normal and Rick was starting to see that maybe this was just that; normal.

Images of Beth standing cold and naked in the prison camp showers crossed his mind. But he continued to take out the dead. They had to thin the lines. They had to make it until tomorrow. It was the only way.

* * *

><p>Daryl had never been as relieved as he was then. Reaching the college and grabbing the mess, they were late and he hoped to God that Charlie hadn't gotten sick.<p>

He was enraged with Bob though, the idiot had nearly gotten them all killed so he could get a bottle of vodka. He left precious supplies behind in that walker ridden shit hole in order to get drunk. Daryl had zero sympathy for the "recovering" alcoholic. He had grown up subjected to drunks and their shitty attitude towards anyone around them. Bob didn't think about the group, he thought about getting wasted.

Daryl hadn't thought twice as he moved in close to the man who had almost gotten them all killed. He didn't say anything, he knew the man was afraid by Daryl's menacing look. It was enough for all of them.

"We should go, we are late enough as it is." Michonne said, touching Daryl's shoulder. He had become more and more used to the woman. They had spent a lot of time together the past few months on runs. He trusted her.

"Next time we'll leave you behind." He whispered to the scared man beneath him.

Bob swallowed and nodded. He had nothing but respect for Daryl Dixon. To see him so angry at him... It felt awful.

They drove back to the prison in silence, the sooner they got there the better in Daryl's opinion. He needed to see Charlie's face and know that she was alright. He needed to see Rick's face... He needed his friends to be okay.

It seemed like three hours until they finally reached the prison. It took seconds for them to see the fences were once again buckling under the pressure of walkers pushing against them.

Daryl caught sight of Charlie fighting alongside Beth as they took out walkers. They covered Rick and Carl who were reinforcing the fences as Bob hurried inside with the medical supplies, Tyresse right behind him.

Daryl fired his crossbow at a walker and saw Charlie smile at him. She waved like an idiot before running her bloody hand over her forehead. She stopped a minute feeling a little dizzy. She stepped away from the fence and kneeled towards the grass.

"You alright? Charlie?" Beth asked her, worried.

"I'm fine. I think I am just thirsty." Charlie waved the small girl off. She hadn't drank anything in almost twenty four hours... She hadn't been taking care of herself. Too many important things to do.

They finished taking care of the walkers. After they had finished fixing the holes Beth showed up with a bottle of water. Charlie smiled at the small girl, gratefully drinking from it.

"Ya alright?" Daryl asked her. He hated himself for watching her hit the grass. But they had to take out the dead before they became uncontrollable.

"Like I said, thirsty." No big deal. Charlie wasn't into being fussed over. She took another drink of the cool water and handed it over to Daryl. "Ya get the medicine?"

"Gave it to Rick." He nodded, squinting at her.

Beth twiddled her thumbs. "I'll leave ya alone. Make sure to help Rick hand everything out." She said. She smiled awkwardly before turning and running back inside with Judith.

* * *

><p>"I thought I wasn't gonna see ya again. Ya know?" Daryl asked her quietly. Charlie looked at him in surprise and worry.<p>

"Why would you think that?" Charlie asked, startled.

"Ran into a herd." He said grimly. "Thought we would come back and you would be sick."

"Hey, I'm fine." Charlie said softly. Charlie reached up and touched his cheek lightly.

"I need to talk to you both about Carol." Rick said gravely as he joined the two. Rick took a deep breath and told Daryl what he knew would upset him.

"Carol killed Karen and David."

Daryl stilled next to Charlie as they both stared back at Rick in shock. He shook his head in denial. How could his best friend say things like that? Carol wouldn't hurt anyone. "No, Carol wouldn't do that...That ain't her." Daryl said, pacing the floor as he looked at Rick.

"Carol said she did it to protect us." Rick said quietly. But it didn't matter what the reason was... Rick had no other choice.

Daryl rested his head on the railing. "What about her girls?" Daryl asked.

Rick raised his head to Daryl about to tell him everything when a large bang broke out around them.

* * *

><p><strong>I guess everyone knows what that means? :)<strong>


	17. Chapter 17 Too Far Gone

Summary: When Daryl defends Charlene from his father's unwanted advances, they are pulled into a painful misunderstanding with the law and Will Dixon. Daryl/OC, Rick/Beth. AU at first but then moves into ZA. Co – Written with alycenwonder. Rated M for violence, language and sexual scenes.

**Special Thanks To: Daydreamer123, Quest, Guest, WalkingPotterGirl14, Kima Wolfwood, jeanf, Daydreamer123 and missy7293. You people rock. Read alycenwonder's story, A Walk In The Dark.**

Carrying On

Chapter 17

* * *

><p>"What the hell?" Daryl asked alarmed as they all hurried out to see what had caused it and they hurried to meet Beth who was beside Maggie and the others.<p>

"Rick, we need to talk!" The Governor's voice rang out loudly as they all froze and saw he had an army tank along with an army.

"It's not up to me anymore, there's a council now!" Rick yelled firmly back at the Governor who chuckled and nodded at the man and woman to move two people out of the car.

"What about Hershel here... Rick? Is he a member of the council?" He asked challenging the cop.

"And what about Michonne?" The Governor asked calmly.

"There's a council now. It isn't up to just me anymore." Rick said firmly and that was when they saw the Governor grab Michonne's katana.

"Come down here." He said calmly to Rick. The cop nodded walking slowly towards the fence line. Daryl pulled it open so they could talk.

"Make sure everyone gets ready to leave if things go south." Rick said quietly and Daryl nodded.

"I will." He said grasping his shoulder.

Daryl watched Rick walking towards the Governor, he knew that the man wouldn't leave them alone. No, he was lying to his people just like in Woodbury.

"Charlie." He said quietly as he walked over and took up position as they looked at Rick and the Governor talking.

Daryl knew this wouldn't end well.

"Yeah?" Charlie asked softly and Daryl swallowed for a minute, he knew this could go wrong in minutes.

"Get ready to run if things go south, we ain't got the numbers anymore." He said and they all nodded in understanding as Charlie squeezed his hand tightly. "If something goes wrong... If we get split up..."

"It's alright Daryl. I know." She smiled to him softly. She reached up and kissed his cheek before looking back towards Rick in the field.

* * *

><p>Rick knew he had to be careful about this. He looked at the Governor who was standing in front of a tank with twenty people as they watched him wearily.<p>

"We have children and sick people, they can't move around yet." Rick explained to the Governor who sighed as the man in the tank glared at him.

"I don't much care, do I? Take your people and leave this place. No one will get hurt that way." The man yelled back. In his mind Rick and his people had slighted him. They took the one thing that made him strong.

"You." Rick pointed one of the Governor's people, "In the pigtails. Is this what you want?" He could see the look of uncertainty on her face and hoped that the right words would sway her. "Is this what any of you want?" He spread his arms wide.

"What we want, is what you got." The man on the tank replied. "Period."

"Look... I fought him before. And after we took in his people." Rick shifted as he normally would, "They have become leaders in what we have here. Now you put down your weapons, walk through those gates... And you're one of us."

"Not after what Brian told us. What you did to him and that samurai here, killed his daughter." The Governor said coldly.

"We're not too far gone, you can join us and put things behind us." Rick said calmly as he looked at the Governor who stared back at him with cold, hate filled eyes.

"Liar." The Governor said coldly as he raised his machete and cut into Hershel's neck roughly.

Everything went in slow motion as Maggie and Beth screamed for their father. Charlie felt her mouth go dry as she stood next to her friend. Beth raised her weapon and began shooting.

"No!" Rick yelled enraged, firing his colt at the Governor. By then it was too late. There was no stopping what would come next. The others fired from the prison.

"Kill them all!" The Governor roared as he cut Hershel's head off.

* * *

><p>Maggie joined them and Beth heard her gun click. Shit, she was out of ammo. "I'm out of ammo!" Beth shouted. They covered Rick who tackled the Governor and started punching him brutally.<p>

"Run for the bus, we'll cover you." Maggie said quickly, pushing them away from the action. Someone had to get through all this.

Charlie looked around for Daryl unable to find him. Panic ran through her as she spun in circles. But he was nowhere to be found.

"Daryl!" She called out to no avail.

She looked around for him still. In the distance through the smoke she saw Daryl firing his gun at some of the Governor's army. He seemed to have heard her calling out to him. He looked over to her, relief showed on his face as he fired at the men again.

"Get outta of here, Char, I'll find ya!" He called out to her firmly. Charlie felt torn as she watched at him.

"We need to go!" Beth snapped angrily, grabbing hold of Charlie's sweater. "Now." The small girl took charge as she tried her best to hold onto the only family she had left; Maggie and Charlie.

Charlie pulled her eyes off Daryl and snapped out of her daze. Beth was right, they shouldn't stick around much longer. If they did then they could all die.

Beth's sister Maggie had taken off minutes before, heading for the small bus that would house their people for however long they were on the run. But looking behind her she couldn't see her sister anywhere. Instead all she saw were the dead as they smashed through another fence and stumbled towards their people. Dread filled her as she closed the bus doors. She would have to leave her sister and her boyfriend behind. It was the only way she would save everyone.

* * *

><p>Beth and Charlie made their way around the exterior of the prison maze that stood between them and the bus. Without knowing what was around each corner they risked their lives. Beth wondered where Rick and Carl where? Where was her child? Her father was dead... Her mind was buzzing as a cry could be heard through the chaos.<p>

"Judith?" Charlie muttered as she stopped in her tracks. But they couldn't see a child anywhere. "Where is she?" Charlie asked Beth.

"There!" She said, pointing to a small closed in shed that sat in the dead cold in front of them. Beth ran for it, pulling at the broken wood doors that held it shut. The crying grew louder as she ripped pieces of the doors free, throwing them behind her.

"We need to hurry, they are coming." Charlie said, turning her gun on the path behind them.

"I'm almost there." Beth grunted quickly as she ripped away the last piece of wood. Judith was crying softly in her baby car seat. Beth picked her up, grabbing the baby bag as Charlie fired at the walkers. "Let's go."

Charlie lead Beth towards the where the bus was meant to be. They both stopped, looking around the road for it. But it wasn't there... It was gone.

Beth felt tears sting her eyes but blinked them away, they all had jobs to do and hers was to be strong for herself, Judith, and Charlie as they ran for the woods nearby. Maggie had left them behind... She had Charlie and Judith... But her blood was gone. She was alone.

* * *

><p><strong>One month later:<strong>

There wasn't much out there but Beth could feel her sides hurting. She had lugged the small child around for what felt like days. Most likely because it had been just that; days. Charlie was sick with the flu and it made everything harder for the two. But Beth shrugged it off. She had been forced to age ten years in the last few weeks. She had been made to take on a bigger role.

"I'm fine, really." Charlie told Beth, pushing the water away. "Really... I just need rest." Charlie had been feeling rather green the last few days and she was starting to wonder if she was going to get better? Did she have the sickness from the prison? If she did there was nothing that could fix it. At least they had nothing. There was one thing they needed right now and they both knew what that was; a place to stay.

The problem was they hadn't found anywhere safe to stay in a week. There were more and more walkers gathering around the city. There wasn't many safe places for them.

Right now they had found an abandoned barn and we're taking a break. Judith had been fed and her diaper changed as she sat in between the two women as they watched over her. "We need a place. You need medicine and I need to get it for you. I can't do that if you're straggling behind me." Beth said, taking her temperature. It was the strangest thing... Her friend wasn't hot. Beth didn't think it was the same illness from the prison. Instead she was sure that it was a stomach flu. Nothing a little Pepto and Gravol wouldn't fix.

"I know. I know Bethie, I am sorry." Charlie smiled softly at her friend. "We should find a house some place around here. It's the only area on our map that doesn't have a herd heading for it.

Beth nodded, grabbing their few supplies. They started to leave as Beth strapped Judith to her chest in a baby sling. They needed to start their search for a house that wouldn't be overrun by the walkers. At least before the sun set. Otherwise they would be stuck outside again. Cold and hungry.

They moved through the farms that surrounded the dense woods they had been travelling through. They were wide, spread out places that took time to work through. But each one seemed off to them. One was too close to the roads nearby. The other too far from supplies.

But eventually sure enough, their luck changed. A large white house stood tall in the distance. It had few trees up against it but a forest that wrapped around it tightly. Here they would be able to see anyone coming towards them and be able to run if need be back into the foliage to safety.

They moved up the steps, towards the front door. Charlie pulled out her lock pick set. She gently placed one into the lock and soon heard the quiet click of the mechanism. "Got it." She mumbled, turning the handle. But the door didn't budge. The knob had turned and nothing happened. "I think something is blocking it." She grunted, pushing harder against the wood.

"Someone is here?" Beth asked her, turning to look around again. But still she saw no foot prints, no vehicles. No signs of another group. The place was quiet.

"I don't think so. Let's try there." Charlie said, pointing towards a garden path. A small gate stood tall in the distance. "Maybe there is another way in."

Beth nodded as she bounced Judith. The young child was looking around curiously as they followed the garden path. She had grown so much so fast and was aware of many things these days. It was overgrown with flowers and weeds but it lead to a back door. Charlie smiled as she cautiously opened it. The thing creaked, hitting something as it went. "Dammit it's blocked to." She said angrily. "I might be able to get in though." She threw herself against it, pushing it wide.

They walked in, guns drawn walking from room to room. Charlie gripped hers tightly as they looked around when their eyes saw a body lying on the sofa lifelessly. They cautiously walked over and froze.

It was Rick. "RICK!" Beth stammered loudly, "Oh my god Charlie! He's dead!" She said quickly, handing Judith over to her friend. "Rick?" She said, kneeling down next to his body. His face was badly beaten, blood caked here and there. His nose broken and eyes swollen shut. He looked terrible.

Beth could feel tears falling down her pale skin as she felt for a pulse. "He's alive." She sobbed, moving her hands to check his pupils with her small flash light. "Rick? Rick please wake up. It's Beth and Charlie. We brought Judith."

"Beth…" Charlie said, trying to get the girl's attention. "Beth I don't think that he is okay."

"He must have a concussion. He might not wake up..." She sputtered.

"Should we move him?" Charlie asked.

"No. No we shouldn't move someone when they are like this. We don't know what is broken. We have to keep an eye on him." It was all Beth could think of.

Charlie held the small child as she watched her friend continue to check Rick over. After fifteen minutes Beth determined all they could do was wait and make sure his heart beat stayed strong.

Charlie and Beth both kept vigilant watch over Rick who was still in a deep slumber. But as they did so Beth grew more worried. She wished her father was there to help. He would know what to do to wake Rick up. He would know if Rick would wake up.

Beth sighed, getting up from her spot on the floor next to him. She went into the bathroom and dampened a flannel before placing it over his burning forehead to keep him cool. It was the best she could do.

All they could do now was wait for Rick to wake up.

* * *

><p>Rick woke up to the familiar sound of a baby cooing softly as he weakly opened his eyes. He blinked rapidly as his vision fought him. "Jude?" He mumbled incoherently.<p>

"Rick?" Charlie said quickly, placing the baby on a small blanket on the carpet.

"Charlie? Judith?" He sputtered, trying to sit up. But his head was spinning. He fell back down against a large fluffy pillow.

"BETH!" Charlie called out to her friend. Charlie had spent three hours in the night trying to get Beth to get some rest. The girl was clearly into Rick, not wanting to leave him for even a second. But she had talked her into some sleep only hours before.

"What?" Beth asked, entering the living room. Her eyes widened at the sight of Rick Grimes wide awake. "Rick, just... Just stay there. Don't sit up." She said, turning on her nurse mode.

"You're alive, you three are okay?" Rick asked relived as he watched Judith on the blanket. She babbled to him and Beth helped him drink some water that they had taken from the well in the garden. He leaned back on the pillows and took it all in.

"Where's Carl?" Rick asked, looking around the room.

"Carl? Was he with you?" Charlie asked, worry spreading across her face.

"Before I passed out... But I don't know how long ago that was." Rick said, pushing back up into a sitting position. "He wouldn't just leave me here if he knew I was still alive. He has to be somewhere nearby."

"No. You lay back down. I won't ask again Grimes." Beth demanded.

"You stay here, I'll go look for him. He can't have gone far. Maybe a supply run." Charlie said, grabbing her gear from the floor. "Keep an eye on him." She smiled at her friends. Maybe the alone time would be good for them.

* * *

><p>Charlie had left the two behind to search for Carl. She headed towards town and walked the streets cautiously. She didn't find much aside from dead walkers... She wasn't sure where the kid would have gone. Why did he leave Rick behind?<p>

Just as Charlie decided to turn back she saw him.

"Carl!" She called out relieved. The once young boy looked shocked but happy to see Charlie he stared down at her from the roof of a house.

"You can come down from there." She said, putting on her bossiest face. The boy laughed, climbing down the lattice in the garden.

"Charlie, you're alive." Carl said happily as he hugged her tightly. She hugged him back.

"So is your Dad. Why are you out here Carl?" She asked him, still a bit worried as to why he had left the man behind.

"He was safe when I left." He shrugged. "It's not like I've been gone long... Are the others with you? Is Daryl alright?" He asked hopefully.

Charlie felt her heart pang at the mention of Daryl and blinked back tears. She had been trying to stay strong the last month, but it was hard. She began leading Carl back to the house quietly.

"No, I haven't seen him since the prison fell. I got out with Beth and Judith." She said firmly.

* * *

><p>"How'd this happen to you?" Beth asked Rick as she checked his pupils again. She could tell he was getting grumpy with her but she shrugged it off for now. His health and safety were important. He was their leader.<p>

"Not much to say. We ran into some men. They weren't like us." He shrugged, wincing as she cleaned the blood from his nose. Rick had killed two of them before getting his son and him outta there. But they had left three men behind. Hopefully they wouldn't come looking for them.

"You shouldn't have gone to sleep Rick. You have a bad concussion." He might not have been so lucky. He may have never woken up. What would Carl have done then?

Rick sighed and nodded as he tried hard to ignore the small girl pressing against him. It made him angry when he had to do this. He was old enough to be her father. He was a father. What would he do if it was Judith in the same position? Murder the man... He knew it.

He had thought he would never see his daughter again after finding her bloodied car seat but Judith was alive and well. "Thank you for looking after Judith." Rick said gratefully. Beth smiled at him gently as she went to prepare a bottle for Judith as she began to fuss.

"Did you see Daryl or Maggie?" She asked hopefully and Rick shook his head sadly as he rubbed his face. He watched the two in silence for a few minutes before he spoke again. "I tried to save him." He said, looking at her. His heart was still broken at the loss of their good friend Hershel.

"My father cared for you Rick. He knew you did all you could." She could see it on her father's face. He knew he was going to die. But there it was anyways. He was okay with it.

"I failed you all." He shook his head. "We should have seen it coming."

"We shouldn't have given up the search but that isn't on you Rick. You're not to blame for what happened at the prison just focus on getting better." Beth said softly as she helped him drink some water from a bottle. He laid back on the pillows as they heard the door open and heard Carl and Charlie come into the house.

"Dad?" Carl called out cautiously as he entered the living room. His father had his eyes open and smiled when he saw his boy. He was alive. "Judith!" He said, excited as he lifted the small girl from the blanketed floor. "You're alive." He whispered to her.

"Beth took care of her." Charlie said, giving her friend the credit. Charlie had helped but they didn't need to think about that. Instead Rick could think about how hard Beth worked at being a mother to his child. Maybe it would be enough to push the two together.

"Momma?" The small girl asked Carl, squishing her face in anger. "Moommmaa!" She screeched loudly. Charlie smiled big as she watched Beth reach for the child. The kid was growing up fast and this was one of those things Charlie had been teaching her.

"Mom?" Carl asked her, raising his brow.

"Charlie taught her that." She said grumpily, rolling her eyes at her friend.

"Makes sense to me." Charlie shrugged, "Girl takes care of the thing like it's hers. Might as well learn who takes care of her."

"Just shut up." Beth snapped, her face turning red as she took the baby from the room.

Charlie watched Beth go. She gave Rick and Carl a silly smile before quietly leaving. She wasn't feeling too great any more so she decided now was a good time to give the two sometime alone. Leaving Carl and Rick she closed herself in the small bathroom.

She gripped the sink and glared at her reflection in the mirror. Why wasn't she feeling better? Was it normal to get the flu and not recover? She didn't think so. Her head began to spin as she moved backwards and sat on the toilet. Why was this happening to her?

* * *

><p>Daryl sat silently in the abandoned shack as he thought of Charlie. God, he hoped she was alright. He hoped Rick had made it out of the prison yard safely. He hoped all his family were safe.<p>

He thought of the group who had become his family, Rick his brother, Beth the sister he never had and Charlie, the woman he loved. He looked at his knife, how long could he keep this up? The loneliness had never bothered him before. But now it did.

He needed to find them.

He stood up and started pouring the moonshine over the shack before setting it on fire and watched as it caught flames. He watched for a while before walking away. He would find Charlie and his group. At least he would try. That was all he had now.

* * *

><p>Charlie had woken up early the next, leaving the others a note before she headed for town in search of what she needed. She hoped to find gravol and Tylenol. At least she would be able to cope with their day to day routine if she had those things.<p>

It wasn't a long walk to town. Maybe an hour if she had a watch. She stopped a few times, gagging as she stood low on her feet. Just one gravol and she knew she would be happier.

The town was small, not much lay before her. A few small lawyers' offices, a grocery store, a dentist office and a small pharmacy. She didn't have many options. She only hoped she would find what she was looking for in one of them.

Charlie walked into the pharmacy and started grabbing everything that she could use. She went to the back where the pads were, she grabbed them, shoving condoms and Tylenol into her bag. Once she had all the things she had been looking for she stopped. Her heart was pounding as she saw a pregnancy test sitting on its own on a bare shelf. She felt the blood drain from her face as she looked at it. No...

It all became very clear then... Why she hadn't been feeling great since the prison had fallen and shakily picked up the pregnancy test. She was pregnant? She coughed loudly, turning around and falling onto her hands and knees. She puked until nothing else would come up. Her vision was clouded from the force of it. Her mind to. How could this be happening to her? This wasn't a world you wanted to bring a child up in. Nothing was certain here.

She got back on her feet shakily and grabbed the box, shoving it deep into her bag. She was going to take it when she got back. But she knew it would be positive.

She started walking back quickly to the house and quietly went around the back. She opened the back door and quietly went inside before shutting the door and walking to the bathroom and grabbing the pregnancy test.

She shut the bathroom door quietly as she grabbed the pregnancy test. She sat and waited the full two minutes before she flipped it over and stared at the two single lines. Positive.

"Oh god." She said, sobbing as she dropped it to the ground.

"Charlie?" Beth called out through the door. "Charlie are you in there? We were looking for you. We want to leave today." She said.

"I'm coming out." Charlie said quickly as she threw the pregnancy test into the small bin next to her. She made sure she had everything before coming out and joining them.

"Are you alright?" Beth asked softly but Charlie only nodded reassuringly.

She had no idea how she would tell them that she was pregnant. They didn't have much for her or themselves. But the worst part would be actually having another child to look after. Judith was a well-mannered little one. She didn't cry all the time. She wasn't easy all the time, but to the group she was the perfect baby in this world. She never gave away their position.

No... She would keep it to herself. For now.

* * *

><p><strong>Review :)<strong>


	18. Chapter 18 After

Summary: When Daryl defends Charlene from his father's unwanted advances, they are pulled into a painful misunderstanding with the law and Will Dixon. Daryl/OC, Rick/Beth. AU at first but then moves into ZA. Co – Written with alycenwonder. Rated M for violence, language and sexual scenes.

**Special Thanks To: ****Daydreamer123****, Quest, Guest, ****WalkingPotterGirl14****, Kima Wolfwood, jeanf and ****missy7293****. You people rock. Check out alycenwonder's new TVD story Connections.**

Carrying On

Chapter 18

* * *

><p>"Where do we go? Do we look for the others or do we find a new home?" Beth asked Rick as they walked side by side. Charlie was behind them a few feet.<p>

"We don't know who made it. But whoever did... We will find them." Rick said hopefully, not really believing himself. Carl walked with Judith in his arms, giving Beth a much needed break.

Charlie walked behind them her mind clouded with the thought of being pregnant. A wave of sadness washed through her as she remembered the last time she had spoken to him. It had been while they had been fighting the Governor and she remembered his words. _"I'll find ya." _

Tears threatened to fall but she tried not to cry as she wiped at her eyes.

She just wanted to find Daryl but at the same time she was wondering how Rick and the others would react to her being pregnant. They had hardly any supplies as they continued on. Charlie suddenly felt a wave of nausea. She stopped dead, not alerting the others.

She vomited in a bush and heard the others stop for her, she quickly wiped her mouth and followed after them as it started to lightly rain. _'Fantastic.'_ She thought to herself. If she didn't tell them, they would figure it out on their own. She hated the lack of control she had in this situation. It wasn't as if she had many options.

* * *

><p>"It's a funeral home." Beth said, stabbing a stick into the dirt as the four stood around glaring. "I guess it can't be as bad as all this." She said, pulling her hood up again as the rain smacked her in the forehead.<p>

"Someone's been here recently." Charlie said, using some of the things Daryl had taught her. There under the rain cover there were two sets of footprints. One large and one not so large.

"All we can hope for is that they aren't here now." Rick told them, pushing the door open. A clean white interior shone through it like a mirage.

They looked around, moving into the house carefully in case someone was inside. On the small kitchen table were opened bottles of coke, crisps, and some tinned food. Someone had obviously been here.

"Do you think Daryl was here?" Charlie asked as she looked at the footprints, they looked like they could be Daryl's. "Daryl?" She called out searching for him, to her disappointment he wasn't there.

She slumped on the floor against the cold white washed walls and lay her face in her hands. If he was dead or alive she just wanted to know. Not knowing made it harder for her. "Charlie?" Beth's small voice broke the silence.

"What is it?" Charlie asked her, moving from the floor.

"Rick and I can't find anyone around. I think whoever it was left. There are signs of walkers downstairs." Beth watched her friend carefully. She could tell something was off even if she was missing Daryl. Something bigger then Daryl. "We agreed that maybe we should stay here a few days. What do you think?"

"Sure. Sounds peachy Bethie." Charlie said, placing a fake smile on her face.

Beth nodded, walking back downstairs. Charlie followed close behind her as they sat in

the kitchen. Rick lit up a few candles so they would have light. They picked through the food and ate what was still okay.

Charlie just hoped Daryl was okay, she hated the thought of him being alone. She rested a hand on her stomach.

* * *

><p>Charlie lay fast asleep next to baby Judith on the large queen sized bed. There were all but two rooms available to them and Carl had the only other one. Beth and Rick kept watch together in the darkness.<p>

"You're healing." Beth said, looking at his eyes. The swelling had begun to reduce significantly after she had given him the Advil from Charlie's run. The one she never should have made without talking with the group first. But Beth hadn't held it against the sad girl. She never thought she would be the one worrying over Charlie. She had always figured it would be the other way around...

"I have a good doctor." Rick smiled back.

Beth smiled then as she looked into his beautiful blue eyes, they were so blue and clear.

"Do you think Charlie is okay?" Beth asked quietly.

Rick looked deep in thought. "I can't say what she is feeling. Only that we all need to keep going. It's the only way we make it. Otherwise what's the point?"

"We have to keep on living." Beth said agreeing with Rick. "Hopefully we can find peace one day."

"It seems less likely by the day." Rick told her.

* * *

><p>Charlie had woken up early and after throwing up in the toilet, she stood looking at herself in the mirror. She didn't recognize herself anymore. She looked a mess, her eyes had dark circles underneath them. She looked at the shower curtain and swallowed. It would be better for Rick, Beth, Carl and Judith if she died. Wouldn't it?<p>

She zoned out for a moment before wrapping the shower curtain around her neck tightly.

She stood up on the edge of the bath before feeling her eyes burn with tears. But she bit them back.

"I'm sorry. Please forgive me." She said sadly as she let go. She felt the curtain strangling her as she started seeing black spots across her vision. Her eyes closed.

* * *

><p>"RICK!" Beth screamed as she smacked her friends face. She had tried to kill herself, which was clear. But the bar that held up the shower curtain really was not meant for an entire person's weight. It fell to the floor with a loud crack. Once Beth had found her friend she began to resuscitate her.<p>

Rick ran up the steps to the bathroom, panic running through him at Beth's shrieks. He thought she was hurt or worse. But instead he found Charlie unconscious on the floor. His breathe returned as he tried to figure out what to do. "Is she alright?" He asked her.

"Yeah. She wasn't breathing but I fixed that. She isn't waking up though." Beth told him.

"Charlie wake up. Charlie?" Rick said impatiently. Charlie sat up, coughing loudly, her hands around her neck. Beth gave her a bottle of water that she drank in silence.

"Charlie why the hell did you try to kill yourself?" Rick asked grumpily. Charlie lowered her eyes.

"I'm not needed here." She lied, not wanting to tell Rick her reasons. She preferred the company of Beth.

"That's not true and you know it isn't." Rick said firmly, he hadn't time for dealing with people trying to off themselves. He had to find his people, the ones who fought every day to live. Charlie looked at the floor for a minute. Beth got up and looked at her friend worriedly, what was going on?

"Rick let me talk to her." Beth said softly. Rick left the two girls alone and tromped done the stair case.

* * *

><p>"Charlie what's wrong, why would you do this?" Beth asked and Charlie blinked away tears.<p>

"I'm pregnant." She stuttered. "I'm pregnant and Daryl is gone. I don't even want children Bethie. Now here I am, walking dead everywhere. Men trying to rape and kill anyone they find? How can I bring a child into this? I don't even get a choice..." Beth knew what she meant by that. There were no abortions at the end of the world. It wasn't something Beth would ever think of doing but she understood now, in this world, why someone would think about it.

"You have us. Rick is mad now, sure. But he will be over it by tomorrow. You need to help us find our group. Find Daryl." She reminded her friend. "Because if there was once person out of all of us who would make it, it's Daryl Fucking Dixon and you know it is. When we are all long dead, he will still be here." Charlie didn't speak, instead she just listened. "You can do this. We can do this. And I promise we won't stop looking until we find him. Okay?"

"Okay. You're right. I don't know what the hell got into me." Charlie mumbled softly.

Beth smiled at her as she helped her friend up off the floor. They walked downstairs together where the others were sitting quietly.

Charlie felt ashamed of herself, she couldn't help but believe Beth when she had promised they would find Daryl no matter how long it took. She smiled softly to herself.

She sat down as Rick looked at her. "A mistake." Beth said, "Girl thing, ya know?" She respected her friends need for privacy. "Now how about talking about our missing flock?"

"We'll look for them after we eat." Rick told them. So they were finally in agreement. They would start their search for their lost family.

Charlie knew she was going to have to tell the group eventually that she was pregnant, she couldn't hide it forever. But she wouldn't until talking with Daryl. They meant she had to find him.

* * *

><p>The four misfits stood at the edge of the prison, looking out over the desolation left behind by the Governor. Charlie and Beth held hands, supporting each other.<p>

"There is nothing left. They can't be here Rick." Charlie said sadly.

"They ran like we all did." Rick said, "The only place I can think of starting is there." He said, pointing towards the getaway point. The bus was gone, leaving the beaten path behind them.

"We start walking the road?" Carl asked, "That could take forever." He whined.

"We are going to do whatever we have to in order to find them." Charlie told the growing boy. "They are family."

Carl nodded as he held Judith in the baby carrier. Charlie noticed that Daryl's bike was still there and blinked back tears, she had to be strong.

They started walking down the road with Rick carrying the bag of guns. Walking along they looked for any sign of their group. It was starting to get cold, but Charlie didn't pay any attention to it. All she could think about was Daryl.

* * *

><p>Beth walked next to Rick in front, Beth holding Judith. Carl had grown tired of carrying the ever growing child, handing her off the Beth. Beth's mind wandered to her sister. Was she looking for her?<p>

"There." Rick said, pointing down the road. There sat the yellow bus, alone in the morning fog. "Carl, Beth, Charlie guns ready." He told them, raising his own.

They crept towards the thing carefully. Beth jumped as a walker smacked it's against the cold window roughly. She knew the face of the small woman. She was dead.

"Maggie?" She asked Rick.

"If we are going to let them out, we do so carefully." Rick said to her, "One at a time."

"They went this way. Tracks aren't great but they're here." Charlie said excitedly. She wasn't sure who it was but it definitely came from the area of the bus.

"We'll set up camp soon, it's going to get dark." Rick said quietly. They had gotten fairly far that day but they needed rest. His children needed rest.

"Where do you think it leads?" Beth asked curiously, her eyes trailing train tracks in front of them.

"There." Charlie said, lifting her hand to a small map. TERMINUS. Walking over to it they saw the sing more clearly. TERMINUS, SANCTUARY FOR ALL. Charlie couldn't help but feel hopeful and from the look on Beth's face, she seemed hopeful too.

"They could be there!" Beth said, "Do we go there?" She asked Rick. Maybe they would find their family there.

"Sanctuary for all?" He repeated. "We go. But we don't trust whoever we find." Rick didn't believe the sign at all. It was most likely a trap. Who these days offered people help? There was not enough food or water to go around. People couldn't afford to share.

"Okay." Beth said quietly. They did have reason not to trust people. People were worse the dead these days. At least you knew what the dead would be doing. They walked down the tracks until they found a black SUV and Carl got in along with Judith. At least there would be a roof over their head for the night.

The train tracks they followed through the forest seemed never ending as Rick looked at Beth, "Where would they go? If they survived..." They had no idea who was still alive. If any of them even were. There was a good chance that they would all be dead.

"What is that?" Charlie called out, stopping them in their tracks. Her finger bent towards a large rock tunnel. In large letters it said, 'Maggie! Gone to terminus. Glenn.'

"That says Glenn!" Carl said excitedly. The large red arrow directing them through the tunnel.

"We have to find them." Beth said. "But we can't take this tunnel Rick. It doesn't look safe."

"If we go around it'll take at least a week." Charlie said, looking at the rocky cliff that lead to a large lake.

"We'll go through it." Rick said to them. He could feel the cold, sick air floating out from inside. But not going through meant possibly losing his family.

"Where do you think it goes?" Beth asked quietly as she held Judith tightly in her arms.

"Under the lake?" Charlie said sarcastically, grinning as she pulled her machete from her side. "Be careful okay."

"We should all be careful." Beth said as she stared down into the darkness. There could be a swarm of the dead in there. And the worst part was they wouldn't be able to see them.

They kept a cautious eye out for walkers as they began to walk slowly into the darkness.

They had one flash light for all of them and it lay in Charlie's hands. It wasn't a lot but at least they weren't completely in the dark. At least that is what Beth told herself. But the reality was they were. The tunnel was a long one.

As they walked Charlie shone the flash light in front of them, taking the lead. They were getting closer to the exit when they heard snarling and saw walkers trapped under rocks. "They must have fallen from up there." She said, shining the light into the darkness above her.

"Shit." Rick muttered grimly as he watched the sight in front of them. There had to be at least twenty walkers all crowded together on the other side.

They looked around cautiously trying to figure out the best way to get through the crowd. It was easy to get over run. Rick led them down the side, kicking walkers out of his way as he went. They began stabbing the walkers in the head. Each one of them were careful as the worked their way through to snapping dead.

When the last body hit the ground they stopped to breathe a moment. Each one of them covered in sweat and grime. "Look, it's not far now." Beth said, pointing to the light at the end of the tunnel.

"But what is on the other side?" Charlie asked. They hadn't walked along the tracks very long and she had a feeling they weren't horribly close to Terminus. She wasn't fully sure she wanted to be. If Daryl was alive he most likely would not have gone to a place advertising safety. It screamed trap.

* * *

><p>By the time the group emerged from the dark hole behind them it was mid-day. Charlie couldn't help but wonder how long they had been inside. It had seemed like hours. "We should find a place to camp soon." She muttered, she could feel sleepiness taking over her body. It was something she would have to begin to get used to now. Pregnancy wasn't easy. Pregnancy in a world where you had to keep moving was even harder.<p>

"Not feeling good?" Beth asked her, knowing that Charlie wouldn't be up to much these days. She just hoped that for all their sakes that she would press on. They may not have the time to keep stopping for her.

"Tired." She sighed.

"Don't worry, we'll find somewhere safe." Beth assured her friend calmly. Charlie nodded. She knew she was most likely holding everything up. But she was so exhausted. Luckily they soon came upon a clearing.

"We'll rest here for the day." Rick said to them. He left them alone to set up camp while he started gathering firewood.

Beth and Charlie made an alarm system with empty tin cans while Carl played with Judith. They waited for Rick to come back, hopefully with enough fire wood for the night. They never needed much.

"Do you think this 'Terminus' is a sanctuary?" Charlie asked quietly as she drank some water from her bottle and watched Beth.

"It's all we have to go on, Charlie. But no... I don't believe in sanctuaries any more. Whatever it is it most likely can't be good." Beth said softly and Charlie nodded. Rick came back, dropping fire wood at their feet.

They started working on making a small fire and Charlie watched as Rick and Beth sat together with Judith and Carl. She wondered when her friend would get the guts to tell the man how she felt. Would she? Charlie wasn't so sure about Beth's confidence when it came to Rick Grimes.

She hoped Daryl was safe and that he knew that she was looking for him, she loved him... She tried to keep warm in her thin black coat. She had lost her black leather jacket during the fall of the prison. She loved that jacket... But she loved many things that she just didn't have any more. She had also gained things she wasn't so sure she could begin to love...

* * *

><p>Beth shivered in her thin white T-shirt as she shimmied closer to the fire. Charlie was snoring as she lay against a nearby tree. Beth had given the girl her blanket, hoping that would mean Charlie would sleep longer. Rick sat in silence, staring at his children as the slept in the darkness.<p>

But Beth had been unable to sleep. Not because of the chill in the air but because of the uncertainty that lay ahead of them.

They were constantly on the move, never staying in one place for long and always running from anything other than themselves.

She just hoped they found somewhere safe soon.

* * *

><p>Charlie woke up to see it was raining heavily and it was making their clothes wet, it looked like there would be a thunder storm.<p>

"We need to find shelter!" Beth yelled over the loud pangs of thunder in the distance.

They started packing up their dwindling supplies before they walked through the woods again. Their clothes getting soaking wet by the rain as they walked back down their path to the train tracks.

Rick looked at them cautiously.

"They lead to Terminus?" Charlie asked quietly. She just wanted to find Daryl even if it meant splitting up from the others. Was it selfish? Yes. But she didn't seem to notice it much these days. Daryl in her eyes, was all she had left.

Thunder clapped in the distance.

A loud screech took them all by surprise as Charlie and Beth found themselves shoved into a nearby bush. Carl stood his ground, covering the spot where the two women hid. It left Rick and him standing in plain view of the now stopped car.

Rick watched as the men got out of the truck. They piled out as the leader spoke up, his voice cold and harsh in the thick rain.

"Well, well... What do we have here?" Joe said with a cruel smile as his men grabbed Carl roughly.

Joe aimed his pistol at Rick's forehead.

"Ten Mississippi." Joe counted as Judith started to cry from Beth's arms as she huddled safely in the bushes. Hopefully the rain would drown out the sound.

"Nine Mississippi." Joe said excitedly and was about to pull the trigger.

"Joe wait!" A familiar voice said from the shadows.

"This better be good, Daryl." Joe said annoyed. Charlie felt her breath catch as she saw Daryl step out from the shadows, he was alive but he looked different. He looked Rougher, meaner even.

"These people ain't worth our time." Daryl said quietly, trying to make it look like they were nobody. "Let's move on." He told the leader.

"You the leader all of a sudden? I miss something since our last talk?" Joe asked Daryl, turning his head to glare at him angrily.

Daryl stayed still as he watched the man calmly. He knew Joe and his group were dangerous. Joe turned his attention to Rick and pulled out his gun.

"You killed a very good friend of mine." He said coldly as Dan grabbed Carl and pinned him to the floor as the two other men turned their attention to Daryl.

"Teach him a lesson, boys." Joe said, grinning as he allowed Rick to watch.

As one of the men began reaching for Carl's face Charlie decided she had enough of it. She climbed slowly from the bush, the rain pouring down her hair and face. Frankly, she was freezing. But it didn't matter. The adrenaline was pumping even as she shivered. "Get off the boy, NOW." She seethed, clicking the safety on her gun and pointing at the man.

He stopped, allowing Carl to get up from the pavement. But just as she felt like she had the upper hand she heard another gun being drawn on her. "Huh uh, drop your weapon." The man said.

"You drop yours." Beth added, coming out of the bush slowly. Judith was on her back as she held her own shotgun on the other man. "This isn't a negotiation."

"Shit." Joe sneered at the blonde haired young woman. Leaning down to Rick he whispered, "More fun." and Rick saw red, animalistic rage ran through him as Joe looked up at Beth.

"She's mine!" He snarled, sliding his hand from his pocket, ripping out Joe's throat with his knife. Blood sprayed but with the rain falling around them it hit the ground. Daryl looked from the mess of Joe on the ground and back at Charlie. Without a second to spare she took the shot.

Both men left over hit the ground next to Joe.


End file.
